The one he didn't know he was trying to replace
by XxStephXx
Summary: Mark Sloan's past has always been a bit of a mystery. He would like you to believe that he has never fallen in love, never had a broken heart and never abandoned something he always knew he didn't want. He thought he had moved on and was happy until...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Derek," said Meredith nervously. They had gotten engaged the night before, Izzie (who isn't ill in this story) had already started to plan their engagement party. Now that they were getting married Meredith thought she should tell him a little more about her family.

"Yeah," he said looking up from his newspaper.

"I've been thinking and you know how I have...weird problems about my dark scary past..."

"Sadie?"

"A little earlier than Sadie," said Meredith. "I...I have a sister that I don't really talk about."

"Molly right?" said Derek. "Lexie's little sister."

"No," said Meredith frustrated that he wasn't making this conversation easy. "Well yeah I guess Lexie's sister is my sister too...but I have another sister I don't really talk about."

"Okay," said Derek putting his newspaper down.

"Umm...yeah she's older than me," said Meredith. "We sort of lost touch when she went away to college, she was pretty wild you know she made me look tame."

"So you haven't spoken to her in a really long time?"

"Well sort of...I called her last year when you know Addison showed up," said Meredith. "But I really want you to meet her."

"I'd love to," said Derek.

"I...I've missed her you know, and us getting married and becoming our own family just sort of makes me want to see her again," said Meredith.

"Then call her," said Derek encouragingly.

"I will," said Meredith. "I just wanted to tell you about it before I did anything."

"Okay," said Derek. "I think it's a great idea...so your Mom and Dad had another daughter?"

"Yeah," said Meredith. "You know I think I'm going to call her right now."

"You should," said Derek knowing how easily Meredith could talk herself out of something. "You should have your family at the wedding, any other secret relatives you want to tell me about."

"No," Meredith laughed. "Although I think that Megan had a kid."

"Megan is that your sister's name?"

"Yeah Megan," said Meredith. "I'm gonna go call her."

"Good luck," he said as she all but ran up the stairs.

* * *

Megan Grey was at home that morning getting her son, who was looking more and more like his father every day, breakfast. She had been living in Seattle for six months now. She was a doctor that specialized in genetics, she had dabbled in surgery but found that genetics provided a more appropriate schedule for a single mother, she could usually work a 9-5 day. She heard her phone ring and automatically picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello," she said.

"Uh hi...it's Meredith."

"Meredith?" she repeated shocked, her sister didn't call often in fact they had only spoken a handful of times in the past 12 years. "Hi, is everything alright?"

"Yeah Mom is still dead," said Meredith.

"And you're still mad about that," said Megan. "I'm sorry but...it's not like there was a funeral."

"I know," said Meredith. "I'm not mad about it anymore, I wouldn't have gone to the cremation if I could get out of it."

"Okay," said Megan. "So what's up?"

"I'm engaged," said Meredith. "I'm going to get married, I'm going to have take part in a wedding about me."

"I'm familiar with the term engaged," said Megan dryly. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Who is the lucky guy?"

"McDreamy."

"I thought he went back to his wife?"

"It's a very long complicated story," said Meredith. "But we have been back together for a while now, so it's not a case of he just left wife or anything sordid like that."

"I never said it was."

"You didn't have to."

"Do you love him?" Megan asked.

"Yes."

"Does he treat you right?"

"Most of the time?"

"Will he look after you?"

"He already saved me from drowning," said Meredith.

"Good enough for me," said Megan. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you," said Meredith. "How is the baby?"

"Not a baby anymore," said Megan. "He's in kindergarten now, reading at a second grade level according to the report card that just came in the mail."

"Wow little genius."

"Look like it," said Megan proudly. "So what else are you calling for?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you don't just call out of the blue to tell me you're getting married, and your voice is all pleasant and happy," said Megan. "So what's up?"

"I want you to meet him," Meredith blurted. "I want you to meet my...people."

"I'll come to the wedding," said Megan.

"I don't even know where you live anymore," said Meredith. "Still in New York?"

"No," said Megan. "Promise not to yell at me."

"Why?"

"I live about twenty minutes away from Mom's old house in Seattle," said Megan. "I only moved here a few months ago and I meant to call but...I guess I just didn't know how happy you would be to see me."

"You're in Seattle?"

"Yeah," said Megan. "I got a job that lets me do a little research, so I moved."

"How could you not tell me?"

"I don't know I'm sorry," said Megan guiltily. "I just didn't."

"I guess we haven't really been that close anyway," said Meredith clearly hurt.

"I think that is an understatement," said Megan. "But we should get together and have lunch or something."

"Yeah," said Meredith. "I have tomorrow off work."

"I can do tomorrow morning," said Megan. "Alfie has sports club until noon."

"Breakfast sounds good," said Meredith.

"Although if you have a spare ten minutes today we could talk," said Megan, she had to at least make an effort with Meredith, she and Alfie were the only family she had. "I have a patient in Seattle Grace this afternoon."

"You work in Seattle Grace??"

"No don't be so ridiculous," said Megan. "It's one thing not to know that I live in the same huge city but it's another to work in the same hospital and not know, it's like something out of a sappy novel."

"Oh then..."

"I work in a lot of hospitals, I'm based in Seattle Presbyterian but I go wherever they need me to go," said Megan.

"I'd like that," said Meredith.

"Me too," said Megan. "I'll call you when I'm in the hospital, I have to go now Alfie is about to raid the cookie jar."

"Okay I'll see you later."

"See you."

* * *

**I know this chapter seems to focus on Meredith and Megan, but this story is about Mark and his past. I left a few clues in this chapter about what the story is about....can anyone guess??**

**Review**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Mark," said Derek that morning. "I really have to talk to you now!"

"Why?" said Mark. "She said yes, right?"

"Yes she said yes," said Derek dismissively. "Can we talk in private?"

"Okay," said Mark turning to Lexie. "I'll see you later."

"Okay," she said sweetly, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. "Bye."

"Bye," said Mark, then he turned to Derek. "What was that? I thought you were okay about me and little Grey."

"I am it's not about that," said Derek. "I think the family tree might have gotten a little more complicated."

"What are you talking about?"

"Megan," said Derek.

Mark immediately stopped in his tracks, stood with his legs shoulder width apart, crossed his arms and flared his nostrils, his body language screaming of a defensive barrier.

"What about her?"

"Um...I was talking to Meredith this morning, apparently there is another Grey sister called Megan. Meredith's older sister that she hasn't spoken to in twelve years," said Derek. "They are reconnecting. And I just thought Megan Grey..."

"It can't be Megan," said Mark.

"Did she mention having a sister?"

"No," said Mark. "But I didn't ask."

"What about where she grew up?"

"She was from Nevada," said Mark. "She worked in the casinos in Vegas before she moved to New York."

"Oh good, I mean Megan is a pretty common name," said Derek clearly relieved. "I just thought I should check and to warn you that there will be another Megan Grey running around."

"No there won't," said Mark then he just walked off.

* * *

"Dr. McDreamy?" said Megan later that day. She had arrived at Seattle Grace half an hour before she was due to see her patient. She had gone to the surgical wing and found her way to Derek's office.

"Oh my God," Derek gaped.

"Close your mouth," said Megan closing the door and sitting down on the chair opposite Derek. "I don't have a lot of time."

"What are you doing here?"

"You look like you are expecting me," said Megan calmly. "Apparently you are marrying my little sister."

"Megan Grey," said Derek. "I hoped it was a coincidence."

"So did I," said Megan. "Fate has a sick sense of humor."

"It sure does," said Derek.

"So I assume that since you're here...your best man will be..."

"Yeah," said Derek. "He's head of Plastics in this hospital too."

"Of course he is," said Megan. "Well...I don't know what to tell Meredith. Should we tell her that we already know each other or..."

"We should tell her," said Derek.

"Yeah you're right," said Megan. "I'm meeting her in a few minutes downstairs, I'll tell her that we used to be friends back in New York."

"Okay," said Derek. It wasn't his place to tell Meredith the whole sorry story of what really happened.

"It's nice to see you again Derek," said Megan. "You better treat my little sister right."

"I will," said Derek.

"Good," said Megan getting up to leave.

"How is the uh...you know..."

"Fine," said Megan almost sniping at him.

* * *

"You okay?" Meredith asked Mark. They were working on a case together and he had been moody, snappy and she had caught him staring into space clearly a million miles away.

"I'm fine," Mark snapped.

"Okay," she said holding up her hands in defeat. "Do you need me for anything right now?"

"No," said Mark. "I hear you are meeting your sister today?"

"Yeah," said Meredith. "I'm actually really excited to see her again."

"Megan is it?"

"Yeah," said Meredith. "So do you mind if I go and meet her, just for a half hour."

"Yeah on you go," said Mark dismissively. He couldn't get what Derek had said to him out of his head. Megan could be in town, he would never have made the connection between Meredith and Megan, Grey was quite a common surname. Megan couldn't be in town, he couldn't see her again he had barely managed to pull himself together after the last time he had seen her.

* * *

"So you know Megan?" said Meredith after she had talked to Derek.

"I knew her a long time ago," said Derek.

"How? How did you know her?" asked Meredith curiously. "She didn't tell me anything except that she already knew you."

"It was about six years ago, we were friends like in a big group," said Derek. "We had a lot of fun."

"You're not telling me something," she said suspiciously. "You don't have to protect me from anything, I know what my sister was like. She left home to go to Vegas...I am very aware that she is not sweetness and light."

"It's nothing like that," smiled Derek.

"Oh god she slept with Mark didn't she? That is why he was acting so strange," said Meredith. "I'm right, aren't I? She slept with Mark."

"Who hasn't slept with Mark?"

"That is an infuriating response."

"Just ask her yourself," said Derek.

"I will," said Meredith. "Did you know I also have a nephew?"

"I knew Megan had a child," he said carefully.

"Little boy called Alfie," said Meredith. "It's weird to think of Megan with a kid, she's just so un-childfriendly."

"Hmmmm."

"I'm meeting him tomorrow, we're taking him to the park," said Meredith.

"Good I'm happy for you," said Derek. "Is she coming to the engagement party?"

"Yeah she is," said Meredith happily. "It's weird I never thought I would be one of those happy, perky people. But today I feel like one. I feel like I have a proper family, it's not an average one but it is a family. I have you, Megan, Lexie, Cristina, Izzie, George and Alex. It's weird to know that you have people."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Megan thought about calling Mark Sloan, just to warn him that she would be at Meredith's engagement party, but she found that she couldn't quite work up the courage to dial his number. Megan was meeting Meredith at the park in ten minutes, Alfie was already playing on the swings. It had been weird for her to see Derek yesterday as she had never planned to see any of them again, but he was marrying her little sister and she would have to. She knew her history with Mark and Derek would eventually come out, and she wondered if she should just tell Meredith about it. But on the other hand it wasn't really her place to tell Meredith, she had made her decision and as far as she was concerned if Mark wanted to tell them about it then he would, she wasn't even sure if Derek knew the whole story. She also had Alfie to think about, she couldn't risk her little boy getting hurt, she had been so careful to make sure he had a normal childhood, there was never any men coming and going from his life, he was safe and secure and he had a normal routine just like any other kid had. So she decided no screw him, she wasn't going to call him chances are Derek had already told him about her and Meredith.

"Hi," said Meredith waving her hand in front of Megan's face. "Anybody in there?"

"Sorry I was a million miles away," said Megan apologetically. "How are you?"

"I'm good," said Meredith. "How are you?"

"Alfie had me up at 6am," said Megan. "I have to take him to the bookstore today, he seriously has read every book in his room. Last month he started to read some of the psychology journals I left lying around and asked a kid at school if he was using bullying as a defense mechanism because he had no father figure in his life."

"Seriously," Meredith laughed.

"Seriously. He didn't know what it meant of course, he is only five but the context was way too accurate to be anything other than scary," said Megan. "I have never had to smooth talk like that in all my life, they thought he was nuts. I had to donate to the new library wing."

"Sounds like you have a real handful on your hands," Meredith laughed.

"Yeah I do," said Megan. "But he's amazing, I can't even imagine my life without him now."

"I was really surprised to hear you had a kid."

"How do you think I reacted when I got pregnant?"

"Yeah I guess," said Meredith. "What about his father?"

"His father is dead," said Megan easily. She had been lying about Alfie's Dad for so long that it just felt natural now.

"Oh I'm sorry," said Meredith.

"Don't be," said Megan. "He is better off without him."

"Okay," said Meredith getting the definite sense that Megan didn't want to talk about it. "So you know Derek? I asked him about it and he was really vague..."

"Vague about what?"

"About how you know each other," said Meredith. "Come on I'm just curious, the two of you are the most important people in my life but I know nothing about your past, it's weird."

"There isn't much to tell," sighed Megan. "I met him when I was doing my residency, we were sort of friends. I moved hospitals and got on with my life and had Alfie. It's not the juicy story you think it is."

"So where is my nephew?" asked Meredith disappointed that Megan's story matched Derek's but it still didn't quite sit right with her.

"Come on I'll introduce you."

* * *

"He was so cute," Meredith gushed to Derek as they walked into the hospital for her shift. "He is actually the smartest five year, he can read proper books not those little kiddie one with all the pictures. He was reading the Famous Five when I left."

"Smart kid," said Derek. He was feeling really guilty about essentially lying to Meredith about her own sister, but Megan was clearly in no rush to tell her the truth.

"He goes to this amazing private prep school," said Meredith. "And he is like the most polite kid ever."

"I'm glad you had a good time," said Derek. "I have to go and talk to Mark about his speech at the party tomorrow night, you know make sure it's appropriate for my mother and sisters to hear."

"Okay," said Meredith. "We'll talk later, you still okay for having lunch with Megan today?"

"Yeah it's fine," said Derek. "I'll see you at lunch."

Derek started his search for Mark. He hated being stuck in the middle of Mark and Megan again, now Meredith was stuck too. He had no idea how any of them were going to get out of this situation without someone getting hurt, but what he hated the most was that the people most likely to get hurt were Meredith and her nephew. He eventually found Mark in his office, lying on the sofa staring at the ceiling.

"I saw Megan," said Mark before Derek had even opened his mouth. "She was at the pharmacy filling a prescription. Does she work here now?"

"She has a few cases here," said Derek. "Meredith said she was based at Seattle Presbyterian, but travels between all the local hospitals."

"I hid from her," Mark confessed quietly. "I actually hid like a nine year old girl with a crush. I didn't even know what I would say to her."

"I was talking to Meredith, she met her nephew yesterday."

"Nephew?" said Mark sitting straight up.

"Yeah she has a five year old nephew called Alfie."

"Alfie."

"Yeah and according to Meredith he is really smart kid," said Derek, he felt like he was betraying Meredith in some way. He knew how she would feel if she knew the truth and she wouldn't be happy. "He is reading Famous Five apparently, he isn't even out of kindergarten yet."

"Wow," said Mark.

"I know, he goes to the top private elementary school in Seattle," said Derek. "Those are all the details I have, I thought you would like to know."

"Yeah thanks," said Mark roughly. "Does Meredith have a picture?"

"No I'm sorry," said Derek.

"I don't even know what my own kid looks like," sighed Mark. "I didn't even know he was boy until you just told me. How sick is that?"

"It's pretty messed up," said Derek.

* * *

**Alright so most of you guessed that Mark was Alfie's father. **

**I know that less people read stories with original characters in it, so I am asking those of you who are reading this to please review and let me know that you all think, and how you think I could improve it.**

**Oh and in the next chapter Megan and Mark finally come face to face (Btw i have written chapter 5 and I will update every 24 hours if i get at least 7 reviews for this chapter)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Megan was standing at the school gates waiting for Alfie to finish, he had been at after school soccer practice so she was able to pick him up usually it was his nanny, Sean. She had had lunch with Meredith and Derek that afternoon, thankfully they had gotten through it without Meredith asking them too many questions. It was weird seeing Meredith with Derek, Megan was so used to seeing him with Addison but even she had to admit that Meredith suited him so much better. Meredith looked so happy, she was relaxed and they were weirdly in sync with each other but not in the sickening lovey dovey way some couples were.

Megan looked around her, seeing the usual crowds of parents waiting for their children next to their shiny SUVs. A few years ago Megan would have laughed at how generic it all seemed, but now she had her very own black shiny SUV. But a flashy shiny sports car caught her eye, many of parents of the school had cute little sports cars she had one herself but it was like an unwritten rule that they were not used to pick up the children. At the school gates you had to be the epitome of maternal. She looked at the man in the sports car and it made her heart race and her palms start to sweat when she recognized him.

* * *

Mark Sloan was sitting in his car across the street from his son's school. He knew he shouldn't be there but he couldn't help but be curious. It was torture to hear Derek telling him details about his son, he should have known them all. He didn't even know it was a son he had until that afternoon.

He spotted Megan in the crowd immediately and he couldn't help but stare. She looked like a totally different person from the one he had known, in fact she looked completely different to how she had look that morning in the hospital. She was wearing her dark hair down, she had really dark brown hair that at first glance looked black, it had a wave through it Megan always used to moan that she wanted straight hair and used to straighten it every morning. She was wearing fitted jeans and gray t shirt, and no make up. It was a world away from this morning, she was wearing her hair the same but she was wearing a tight fitted skirt with a slit up to her mid thigh and a blouse that showed just enough cleavage, and killer heels. It was weird to see her in Mommy wear, oddly it suited her.

* * *

"They don't like weird men hanging around school gates," said Megan as she leaned on the hood of Mark's car on the driver's side.

"I'm sure they don't mind parents," said Mark.

"You have a kid that goes here too," said Megan faking surprise, she knew he didn't have any other children except Alfie.

"Apparently I have a son," said Mark.

"Isn't that interesting?" said Megan. "Which class is he in?"

"I couldn't tell you," said Mark. "What class is our son in?"

"Oh now he's our son," laughed Megan. She looked around very aware that there were people around, and the fact that Alfie was due out any minute. Getting into a screaming match was just not an option.

"Why wouldn't you tell me about him?"

"You knew."

"I didn't know he had been born."

"Don't you think that a six year pregnancy would have attracted some kind of medical uproar?"

"You live ten minutes away," said Mark. "You could have called me."

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"So that I could meet my son."

"You have no right to call him that," said Megan feeling her temper rise. "You have no right to call yourself his father, not today or any other day of his life. You lost that right a very long time ago."

"Things are different now."

"No they aren't."

"They are," Mark insisted. "I'm not the person I used to be, clearly you aren't either."

"What the hell do you know?"

"You're driving an SUV," said Mark. "The girl I knew wouldn't be caught dead in an SUV. You live in the suburbs..."

"Well your excellent powers of observation are just as sharp as they always were," sniped Megan. "I have changed, I had to grow up."

"So have I," Mark countered.

"You haven't," laughed Megan. "I am a responsible single mother that drives an SUV. You are driving a porsche that reeks of a middle aged guy trying to be down with kids. Oh and you're screwing a twenty four year old."

Just as she finished she spotted Alfie running up the path to the school gates. He was still in his soccer uniform and covered in mud, running with his school bag flying behind him.

"I want to see him."

"Too bad," snapped Megan. She walked over to Alfie and before Mark could even think about getting out of his car, she had scooped him up and strapped him into her car and drove off.

* * *

**Alright I only got 5 reviews but I am updating anyway, for those five reviewers! akte89, greysfan16, Jenna, lilxjames and jlamb13 thanks for your reviews I loved them!**

**So please everyone keep reviewing!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"I'm not going away," Mark hissed at Megan. He had been waiting for her, he had checked with the hospital admin staff, and found out that Megan had an appointment at Seattle Grace at 1pm so he waited for her at the entrance.

"No you're lurking around like a creep," said Megan. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Not yet but give it some time," said Mark. "And was that a Porsche I saw you drive up in?"

"No a Mercedes," said Megan. "I have to work late today so I gave the Manny my SUV to pick up my son."

"Our son," Mark corrected. "And what the hell is a Manny?"

"A male nanny," said Megan. "I thought my son would benefit from some kind of male influence."

"A male nanny, you are kidding me right?" laughed Mark. "Does such a thing exist?"

"Yes, his name is Sean and he is great with my son," said Megan. "They play baseball together, watch cartoons and bond."

"Can we please just talk seriously for a minute?" said Mark grabbing her arm to keep her from walking into the crowded elevator.

"Why?" said Megan. "We have nothing serious to talk about."

"You don't consider our son serious."

"I consider my son a serious topic but I see no reason to discuss him with you," said Megan calmly.

"Come on Megan," said Mark trying to get through to her. "I just want to talk about him. I promise I won't get mad or anything. I just want to have a conversation."

"Well I don't see why," said Megan using a more serious tone that she had before. "We don't have to discuss Alfie, we said everything we have to say when I told you I was having him."

"We have had one conversation," said Mark. "How can that be enough? You just disappeared."

"What did you expect me to do?" asked Megan. "Seriously what did you think I would do after that day?"

"I don't know," Mark confessed. "I came over to talk you and I found the place empty."

"I didn't want to trap you into giving a damn about Alfie," said Megan. "You told me you never wanted kids. You wouldn't be a good father, you're too selfish..."

"I am selfish," said Mark. "We were both selfish."

"But I was prepared to change," said Megan. "I was prepared to change my whole life to raise my son, and you weren't. Your whole being is about being a hot shot plastic surgeon, driving a flashy car, flirting with anything with a pulse and banging someone young enough to be your daughter. You like having a shallow life..."

"I don't..."

"You do," said Megan. "But the sad thing is that when you die, all your headstone will read is; Mark Sloan made a lot faces prettier but had an empty life."

"What if I want to get involved now?"

"You're five years too late," said Megan. "And you're just not a parent."

"I am," he said. "That kid is mine."

"Biologically," said Megan. "But you are still the same and you are never going to change. You won't be a good Dad, definitely nowhere near good enough for Alfie."

"I want to see him," said Mark firmly. He hated that Megan was still the only person who could make him feel this terrible about himself. He knew he would never win any father of the year awards, but didn't he at least deserve a chance to get to know his own son. Addison hadn't wanted to have children with him, in fact she went as far as to have an abortion just to avoid having a baby with him.

"Look I get that you are curious," said Megan. "I have just wandered back into your life without any warning, and it is completely natural for you to be curious about Alfie but you can't be a Dad, you and I both know that."

"But..."

"He will be at Meredith and Derek's wedding," said Megan. "Feel free to gawk at him, hell even talk to him. But do not even think about trying to be Daddy! This curiosity will pass, like everything does with you."

* * *

"So Meredith has been telling me about her sister," said Lexie to Mark later that day. It had only been an hour since he had spoke to Megan and he couldn't get the things she had said to him out of his mind.

"Did she?" said Mark distantly.

"Yeah I'm really curious about having another older sister," said Lexie. "From what Meredith told me she sounds so interesting. She lived in Vegas."

"Yeah Megan is a pill," said Mark almost bitterly.

"She told me that you and Derek knew her from when she was in New York," said Lexie almost awkwardly. "She said that you slept with her. I want you to know that you don't have hide it from me, I know you have a vast number of conquests. I know that so you don't have to hide the fact that you have slept with her."

"Who told you that?"

"Meredith," said Lexie. "So I assume it was just like a fling, or one night stand. I mean it's you..."

"So you automatically assume that it was a shallow, meaningless fling," snapped Mark. "Because I am such a shallow, meaningless person."

"I...I didn't mean," said Lexie shocked that he would get so angry so quickly.

"Yeah I'm sure you didn't," he snapped. He started to walk off but then he turned round to face her again and said. "Oh and we were together for 6 years, it wasn't meaningless and it wasn't a fling!"

"Oh...."

Mark stormed off, he had been so stupid. Why did he let Megan get to him like that? She knew which buttons to press, she still knew how to manipulate him! Well he wasn't going to let her. He had made a mistake six years ago, he shouldn't have to pay for that for the rest of his life and neither should his son. He quickly found her her down in one of the labs in the basement.

"I want to spend some time with my son," he demanded as he slammed the door behind him.

"Haven't we already talked about his?" said Megan barely glancing up from her files. "He will be at Meredith's wedding, you can see him there and get this weird paternal surge out of your system."

"No I mean proper time with him," said Mark his voice like ice. He wasn't going to let Megan talk him out of this, not this time. "He deserves to know who is father is."

"He knows who his father is," said Megan looking up at him, she looked almost amused to see him shaking with rage.

"What? So all this time..."

"His father was a brave fireman that loved him very much but died before he was born because he was trying to save a little boy and his Mommy," said Megan pulling the story out of her ass. Alfie had barely mentioned his father, when he had she had just told him that his Daddy loved him but was very busy and that one day when he was older she would explain it to him. In her defense she always planned on telling Alfie about Mark when he was older, she would never have stopped him trying to contact his Dad when he was old enough to make that decision.

"You're lying," he said. He always used to be able to tell when Megan was lying, but he couldn't quite see all of her face so he wasn't sure.

"Am I?" said Megan calmly. "What else was I supposed to tell a three year old boy when he asks me why doesn't have a Daddy? Should I have just told him the truth, that Daddy ran a mile that he would rather get drunk, pick up some underage piece of ass and that just forget that he existed? Is that what I should have told him?"

"That wasn't how it happened and you know it!"

"It's definitely the way I remember it!" Megan shouted as she got to her feet. "So just forget about Alfie, you aren't getting anywhere near him!"

"Why not?" roared Mark.

"Because you are the worst thing in the world that could happen to my son," Megan shouted. "He is smart, polite, well mannered and considerate basically everything you're not!"

"Oh someone that can live up to your expectations," Mark shouted. "Cause' I never could."

"You never gave a damn about my opinion!"

"The only reason I got into plastics in the first place was because of you!" Mark shouted. "I was going to be a general surgeon before you stuck your interfering nose in!"

"Well I was right, you're an amazing plastic surgeon, isn't that better than being an average general surgeon?"

"I never said it wasn't a good thing," said Mark realizing that they had gotten completely off topic. "I wanted to talk to you about Al...our son."

"It doesn't matter how much we talk, I'll never budge," sighed Megan. "You made your decision six years ago, I gave you the chance to be his Dad and you didn't want it. You still don't want it, you might think you do but...you would get restless after a while and the only thing worse than not having a father at all is loving a father than runs out and leaves you on your eighth birthday."

"I'm not your Dad," said Mark softly. He knew enough from Meredith and Lexie, to know that Megan was now talking about her father, a subject that had never came up when they had been together, she had always been as guarded as he was about his family.

"You don't know anything about my Dad."

"I met him," said Mark. "And I know from Meredith that he just left the two of you after your mother had an affair with the Ch...an affair. I know that he never kept in contact with either of you."

"She had an affair with Richard Webber," said Megan, she knew Mark knew and he thought he was protecting her by not telling her and it was infuriating. "I was seven, I wasn't an idiot."

"I'm not your Dad and you can't punish me for his mistakes."

"I'm not," said Megan. "I'm not even punishing you for your mistakes."

"Who's mistakes are you punishing me for?"

"I'm not punishing you for any body's, I'm not punishing you at all," said Megan. "You'll thank me for this."

"Why would I thank you?"

"Because being a parent turns your life upside down and it is so hard to let go of the person you had become. Because you do lose a piece of yourself, you can't just go out at 3am because you're hungry. You can't just go off to the Bahamas for the weekend, and you can't just go out to a bar because you have to find a babysitter and then you have to deal with the guilts of leaving your child with a stranger. You have to make sacrifices I know you are not capable of making..."

"Like what?"

"I gave up being a surgeon to raise Alfie. I went into genetics because it meant I could work a normal working day, I could pick him up from school. There are no major emergencies in genetics, I could take a day off when Alfie was teething and when he was in hospital in pneumonia, I had to do my work from his bedside so that I could pay the bills so that he would have a roof over his head when he got better. So you tell me, right now could you make that kind of sacrifice for a boy that you have only caught a glimpse of?"

Mark was speechless. He should have been there was Alfie was little, he knew Megan was a resident and it stood to reason that at times she would have struggled financially. She had a stack of student loans, and he had never paid a penny in child support, and her salary back then was nothing compared to his.

"I didn't think so," said Megan.

"I...I'm..."

"Dr. Webber is on line 2 for you," one of Megan's team called into her office.

"Thank you," said Megan making her way to the phone. "You can let yourself out Dr. Sloan."

* * *

**Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter.**

**hugeGAfan, cjwc, HHSprincess, jlamb13, lilxjames**

**Please everyone keep reviewing!!!!!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was the night of Meredith and Derek's engagement party. It was amazing that Meredith had only called her a few days ago, not even a week and yet all the drama since felt like it had been going on for years. Megan was standing in a beautifully decorated ballroom in a fancy hotel, surrounded by people she didn't know. She knew that this engagement party was not Meredith and it wasn't Derek. If she had to guess she was willing to bet that it had been Derek's family that insisted on a fancy engagement party because from what Meredith had told her their wedding was going to be very simple.

"Are you alright?" Derek asked from behind Megan.

"Yeah I'm fine, just wondering who all these people are." Said Megan. "How are you?"

"I'm just wondering who all these people are," said Derek laughing nervously. "I think I know about four people here."

"Lucky you," said Megan. "You spoke to Mark didn't you?"

"He just wants to meet the boy," said Derek. "For what it's worth I don't think he is ready to be the boy's Dad, yet. But given the chance he might surprise you."

"I can't risk Alfie getting hurt and given Mark's track record..." said Megan. "I gave him the chance."

"No you sprang it on him and gave him ten minutes to make his mind up," said Derek. "It wasn't fair. And you just disappeared, you never gave him the chance."

"Men like him don't make good fathers."

"I remember a time I would have said that nobody could have tamed a man like him, but you kept him monogamous for three years" said Derek.

"It's not the same," said Megan.

"Meredith grew up without her father and she never recovered," said Derek.

"Don't try to tell me about my own sister," snapped Megan. "Unlike you I know what it was like for Meredith after Dad left. I was the one that sit with her while she waited for him. I was the one that held her as she cried herself to sleep. I was the one that covered for her when she started to act out. I was the one put her back together the first time she got her heart broken. Don't you dare try to tell me about the damage not having a father in kid's life can do! I already know I watched my little sister go through it for ten years!"

"He was your Dad too," said Derek softly. "Didn't you have to deal with that too?"

"Not when my little sister was falling apart," said Megan almost bitterly. "I didn't have time to worry about me when she needed me so much."

"I will look after her, you know?" said Derek. "I won't let anybody hurt like that again."

"I know you're a good guy Derek," said Megan. "And I know that you love her. But if you ignore or neglect her like you did Addison I will shove my rifle so far up your ass that the bullet will ricochet off your skull and shoot out your nose!"

"Okay," said Derek. "If I hurt her I will let you."

"Well it's nice to get all that unpleasantness out of the way," said Megan taking a long drink of out of her champagne flute. "Now the real fun begins, I get to make nice with a bunch of strangers, my secret half sister who is sleeping with the biological father of my son and former boyfriend. You better have a well stocked bar."

"I think you will find my bride-to-be there sinking tequila shooters, and making fun of the happy people," said Derek.

"That's my baby sis," said Megan proudly.

"Did you bring your son?" asked Derek trying to sound casual.

"I don't bring my son to parties that start past his bedtime," said Megan. "So you can report back to Mark that he is safely tucked up at home, and his nanny is staying the night."

"Sorry," said Derek guiltily. "He wanted to ask but didn't want a repeat of yesterday."

"Don't worry he wouldn't have gotten one," said Megan. "I promise to be on my best behavior both here and at the wedding, there will be no screaming, no shouting and no arguments from me."

"Good to have you here Megan," said Derek sincerely.

"It's nice to see you too Shep," said Megan. "I'm going to go and find my sister."

* * *

"You escaped your own engagement party," Lexie scolded. It was around midnight, Meredith, Cristina, Derek and Megan were sitting in the hotel bar in a booth. Lexie stood in her formal black clingy dress, she was almost dragging Mark behind her by the hand like a child.

"It was boring," Meredith giggled.

"Too many grown ups," Megan hiccuped as she threw back another tequila shooter.

"Are you all drunk?" asked Lexie with her hands on her hips.

"I'm sober," said Derek holding up his hand, he was wedged in between Megan and Meredith. Cristina was semi conscious next to Megan.

"Sit down...it's no fun playing this game with Mer I already know her dirty secrets and well Derek's are dull." said Megan.

"Well excuse me," said Derek affronted.

"Yes sit," said Meredith.

Lexie and Mark sat down in the booth, Mark watching Megan awkwardly. He knew how she got when she had been drinking.

"So where were we?" said Megan.

"Songs you lost your virginity to," said Meredith.

"Uh...Led Zeppelin, living loving maid," said Megan.

"That's weird," said Meredith drunkenly. "You didn't even listen to Led Zeppelin."

"So?" said Megan. "I don't even have to ask about yours...it was the theme song of happy days, you thought it would be all ironic and deep. Danny Smith, tenth grade in the garage..."

"You heard that?" asked Meredith her face going pale.

"Yeah he was panter," said Megan. "It was truly horrific, my clothes were drying in that garage."

Meredith was struggling to find some way to respond to that, luckily they were interrupted by the sound of Megan's ringing cell phone.

"Hello," she said. "How did you know where I was? Oh I told you...okay I'll meet you there."

"Oohh who was that?" Meredith giggled when Megan hung up.

"It was that musician, you know the one with the accent," said Megan vaguely.

"There was always a musician with an accent," said Meredith rolling her eyes. "Tell me!"

"Irish drummer," said Megan wickedly. "I have a night pass and I intend to use it."

"Ewwww," said Meredith. "Do you mind if I don't think about that."

"Not at all," said Megan. "Later losers."

"Wait!" Meredith commanded. "How long have you been seeing him? Does Alfie like him? And...do you want to bring him to the wedding, my side of the guest list is kinda skimpy?"

"A few months," said Megan. "I don't introduce men to Alfie and no I don't want to bring him to your wedding. Derek make sure she gets plenty of water and a basin next to her bed."

"Don't worry," said Derek. "Have fun."

"I'll walk you out," said Mark clearing his throat.

"I don't need an escort to walk down the street," said Megan as if it was the most appalling idea she had ever heard.

"It's not safe," said Mark. "Psychos attract others."

"You better stay in doors then," snapped Megan.

"Just move," sighed Mark.

"When did you become so chivalrous?" she muttered as she followed him out of the bar.

"I guess Lexie just brings out my better side," he snapped.

"It's kinda weird that you're banging my half sister," said Megan wickedly. "She looks a little like me. Same hair, are you sure you don't think..."

"Don't even go there!"

"I'm just saying," said Megan. She loved that she could still get such a strong reaction from him. "The similarities are there. She's the same age I was when..."

"I said don't!"

"Not even a little," she said.

"What the hell is the matter with you Megan?" said Mark leaning against the wall of the hospital.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

"I mean why are you bringing that up?" said Mark. "I can barely get a civil word out of you and now you're..."

"I always was much more friendly when I was drunk," said Megan leaning against the wall next to him.

"Can we just leave Lexie out of our mess?"

"Why?" she said. "You came out here to see who I'm sleeping with, don't try to deny it!"

"I can't believe you have gone back to your type," said Mark smiling a little. Before they had gotten together, Megan had always gone for musicians, artists basically dark, tortured unemployed losers that were bad for her."

"Hmmm well when I strayed from my type I ended up pregnant," said Megan.

"That is true," said Mark. "But you got our son out of it."

"That is true," said Megan. "And I wouldn't change him for the world. My point is that my love life has nothing to do with my son, so before you start on me I have never introduced any men to Alife. I have the nanny stay over two nights a month, I tuck Alfie into bed and I am there when he gets up for school. Not that I have to explain my parenting to you."

"That is true, I don't have any right to question how you have raised our son," said Mark. "I haven't been there but I'd like to be."

"I told you that it's not going to happen," said Megan. "I don't trust you with my son. I trusted you before and that didn't work out so well."

"You can't use our past as a reason to keep me away from our son."

"You can't even say his name," said Megan. "You call him, he or our son. His name is Alfie, he is five years old, he has sandy colored hair and he loves to play soccer on a Sunday morning before I take him to the supermarket so that he can pick what he wants for dinner, it is the only night of the week he gets to pick what he wants for dinner."

"I want to learn things about him," said Mark.

"Your job means you can't be a constant in his life, when there is a pile up on the freeway you have to drop everything and go to the hospital, a five years old doesn't understand that."

"You know you come up with a different reason every time we talk about this," said Mark.

"Well I have a lot to choose from," said Megan.

"How would you feel if someone was telling you that you couldn't see your son?"

"It is completely different," said Megan. "I carried him for nine months. I changed his diapers, I am his mother."

"I'm his father," said Mark. "Why can't you see that?"

"I see it everyday," Megan confessed quietly. "I see you in him every single day, but just the good parts."

"Is everything alright out here?" Derek called into the darkness. Megan and Mark had been gone for a while and from what he remembered that couldn't lead to anything good. They were either arguing or doing what they did best.

"Yes it's fine," said Megan stepping out of the shadows. "Don't worry we aren't killing each other."

"I was getting worried," said Derek then he added pointedly. "So is Lexie."

"Right," sighed Mark.

"Forget about Alfie," said Megan. "You can have other kids, you can be a Dad to them but you missed your chance with him."

"Ouch..." said Mark.

"I have to go," said Megan. "My booty call only waits so long."

"I won't give up on this," said Mark seriously. "I could get a lawyer."

"You wouldn't have a leg to stand on," said Megan as if she pitied his threat. "Bye."

"Bye," said Mark.

* * *

**Thanx again to my awesome reviews.**

**lilxjames, hugeGAfan, jlamb13**

**Everyone please keep reviewing, I am open to suggestions for the story.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Megan stood in the kitchen of her house, just staring at the letter she had received that morning. It had been two days since Meredith's engagement party. It was a Saturday morning and Alfie was picking out which towel he wanted to take swimming. Mark had actually gone to a lawyer and they had sent her a letter asking for a meeting regarding access to Alfie. The sad thing was that Mark didn't even know Alfie's whole name, he was referred to in the letter as 'the child in question'. She was an idiot to think that she could talk Mark out of seeing Alfie, it wasn't like the time she talked him out getting a tattoo of boobs on his ass.

"Mummy I picked one," Alfie shouted as he came running into the kitchen holding up his 'Finding Nemo' towel.

"Good," said Megan. "Go and put it in your bag and then come back in here I want to talk to you."

"Okay," said Alfie. "Did I do something bad?"

"No," said Megan softly. "Of course you didn't do anything bad."

"Did I do something good?" he asked, his blue eyes lighting up. "Cos' I finished my book this morning."

"You did?" said Megan fondly. She loved how smart Alfie clearly was, he actually loved to read. She let him read for half an hour in bed before lights out. She made him earn his books, he had to keep his room tidy and put newspapers in the recycling, even though she stacked them up in the same place every week so he just had to move them from the coffee table to the recycling bin. "Is the recycling done?"

"Yes," said Alfie. "And my room is soooo spotless."

"Then we will head to the bookstore after swimming," said Megan. "I thought we would go and see Aunt Meredith today, would you like that?"

"Yeah," said Alfie.

"Come here baby," said Megan taking the towel from his little hands. She placed him on her lap and she gave him a little cuddle. "I wanted to talk to you about your Daddy. Do you remember the last time we talked about him."

"Sorta," he shrugged.

"Well I got a letter from him this morning," said Megan. "Do you remember that I told you that he really loves you but he had a very busy job and one day he would come and visit?"

"Uh huh," said Alfie.

"He wants to come and visit," said Megan. "I know that you get upset sometimes because your Daddy isn't around to do things with you. But that isn't his fault. So I was wondering how you felt about that?"

"Is Daddy a nice man?" Alfie asked quietly.

"He is," said Megan stroking his hair. "But I want you to remember that you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"Nelson's Daddy doesn't live with his Mummy, but his Daddy is a bad man. Nelson said his Daddy likes his new baby best and it makes him sad. Does my Daddy have a new baby?"

"No he doesn't," said Megan holding her little boy close. "Are you okay?"

"I'm a little bummed out," sighed Alfie.

"That is not a nice expression," Megan reprimanded. "I don't want you to worry about this, okay? You take all the time you want to think about this, no matter what you decide is fine. If you want to see your Dad then I will call him and if you don't want to see him then I promise you won't have to."

"Okay," said Alfie quietly. "Mummy are we still going swimming?"

"Yes we are," smiled Megan. "I'll go and finish packing your bag."

* * *

"Knock, knock," said Megan as she let herself into Meredith's house. "Mer are you home?"

"In here," said Meredith poking her head out of the kitchen door. "Hi Alfie."

"Hi Auntie," he said shyly. He was still shy around Meredith.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked.

"I came to talk to you," said Megan. "More importantly what are you doing in the kitchen?"

"Heating up leftovers," said Meredith.

"That is more like it," Megan laughed. "Is anyone else home?"

"No just me," said Meredith.

"Good, I have to talk to you in the kitchen," said Megan. "Alfie, can you sit in here and read your book while I talk to your Auntie Meredith."

"You can turn on the TV," said Meredith. "We have cable."

"It's okay," said Alfie. "Mummy got me a new book today."

"Okay," she said fondly, she really was growing to love her little nephew.

"Come on I brought lunch," said Megan.

"Will he be okay out there himself?" said Meredith as Megan shut the kitchen door behind them.

"Yeah he'll be fine," said Megan. "He will shout if he needs anything."

"Okay so what's up?" asked Meredith.

"I have a bit of a bomb to drop on you," said Megan. "And there is less chance of you getting mad at me if Alfie is in the next room, that and it's the nanny's day off."

"Is this a tequila conversation?" Meredith groaned, nothing with Megan was ever simple.

"Not for me, I have to drive," said Megan. "I got a letter from Alfie's father's lawyers this morning."

"You told me his father was dead."

"Well he's not," said Megan.

"Why would you lie about that?"

"Keep your voice down," said Megan. "I lied because it was easier and less painful than telling you the truth."

"What is the truth then?" sighed Meredith. It was pointless to get worked up Megan would just make her feel like a five year old.

"How much did you find out about my past with Mark Sloan?"

"No...come on!" Meredith exclaimed. "He is Mark's son."

"Alright yes," said Megan. "But you have to hear me out, okay?"

"Okay," sighed Meredith. "Go!"

"Well we had a complicated relationship, when we met we were like buddies. I worked in the bar he drank in when he was doing his residency we would watch sports, drink and argue. And Mark being Mark, and me being me we ended up as friends with a few extra benefits and it sort of carried on that way for a while...3 years to be exact."

"Three years."

"Oh we were sleeping with other people too," said Megan. "But then there was this car accident and...I was beaten up pretty bad. Something changed. He started spouting love stuff. We decided to try the whole monogamous relationship thing, we even lived together for a few years..."

"Years!"

"Two to be exact," said Megan clearly in a rush to just get it all out. "Then I missed a period. I took a test, I was pregnant. We had never talked about kids before, we were young and selfish. We liked our life the way it was, we worked crazy hours, had wild nights out and went away to the Bahamas for no particular reason. A baby didn't fit into that lifestyle. I told him I was pregnant and I wanted to keep it and...he told me he had never wanted kids, he wouldn't be any good and that I had to get rid of it."

"Oh my god..."

"So I gave him an ultimatum, accept the baby or lose me," said Megan. "I guess you can guess what happened then. He went for a walk, I cleared out all my stuff and I hadn't seen or spoken to him until last week."

"I'm so sorry," said Meredith. "I'm so sorry I brought him back into your life."

"It's okay," said Megan.

"Now he wants Alfie," said Meredith furiously. "The baby he told you to kill? You better not be letting him! What the hell is wrong with men that think they think just pick and choose when to be involved in their kids' lives?"

"Mer calm down," said Megan. She wasn't sure how Meredith was going to react, but she hadn't expected her to get so angry. It wasn't like her at all.

"No, why should I calm down? Men like that shouldn't be able to have children. He just wants to waltz in now that you have done all the work. Do you have any idea how many memories children have by the time they are five?"

"Dad left when you were five," said Megan. "It's not the same situation."

"No it's worse," Meredith shouted. "At least Thatcher looked after us when we were little, Mark didn't want him at all and now he can just change his mind."

"Meredith are you home?" Derek shouted from the living room.

"In here," she shouted. Then she said to Megan. "This is wrong. You can't let him get away with this."

"I honestly don't know what I'm going to," sighed Megan. "I've been trying to talk him out of trying to get access but apparently I couldn't. I told Alfie that his Dad wanted to visit him."

"You told him?" Meredith shouted.

"Told who what?" asked Derek coming into the kitchen.

"I thought he could make up his own mind," said Megan. Then she heard voices in the other room.

"Who is in there?" asked Meredith suspiciously.

"Mark," said Derek guiltily. "He isn't going to say anything."

Megan all but ran from the room.

"Unbelievable," said Meredith deathly calm.

"I was just..." Derek protested feebily.

In the next room, Megan found Mark crouching in front of Alfie asking him about the book he was reading.

"Alfie can you get your things," said Megan as she picked up his jacket from the side of sofa. "We have to go."

"Already?" asked Alfie. "Auntie said we could play."

"Next time," said Megan. "Come on."

"Okay," he said disappointed.

"Can't you stay a little longer?" said Mark. "We could play soccer?"

Alfie's little eyes lit up, he hardly ever got to play out with his school team. "No we're leaving now," said Megan firmly. It nearly killed her to see the shattered look on Alfie's face.

Megan took Alfie's hand and talked to the door, just looking back to shoot Mark a look that told him he had just made a big mistake. And then they were gone.

* * *

**Thanks to my TWO reviewers, jlamb13, lilxjames. You guys are amazing u always review every chapter.**

**Come on people cheer your author up with a few more reviews!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The next morning after Alfie's soccer game, Megan was strapping him into the car when her cell phone started to ring, she didn't recognize the caller ID. She had an appointment with a top lawyer the next day to address Mark's letter, Alfie hadn't brought up the subject of his Dad again, so she was going on the assumption that he wasn't ready to meet him.

"Hello," she said.

"Megan it's Derek."

"Is everything alright?"

"Not really," said Derek. "What did you tell Meredith yesterday?"

"I told her the truth," said Megan. "Mark got a lawyer, I had to tell her."

"She's not really handling it very well," he said.

"She got pretty mad yesterday but I thought she would have calmed down by now," said Megan. "Fathers are a weird subject with her."

"Well she hasn't calmed down, she threw him out," said Derek.

"He wasn't living there," said Megan.

"No but she told him he couldn't be in the wedding and that she never wanted to lay eyes on him again, Lexie left too," said Derek.

"Damn," said Megan. She knew how hard it would have been for Meredith to accept Lexie into her life in the first place. "I'll come over and talk to her."

"Mark and Lexie are coming by later to try and sort this out."

"I'll be over first," said Megan. "I have Alfie with me today."

"Okay thank you," said Derek.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," said Megan.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Megan and Meredith were sitting on the porch. Alfie was playing basketball with Alex and Izzie in the driveway.

"Mer what's going on?" Megan asked.

"Ugh I just snapped when I saw his smug, arrogant face," said Meredith disgusted. "He had the cheek to stand there and act like he was the victim. He just wanted to meet his son."

"Yeah he's said that."

"And then to get the lawyers involved, he is the lowest of the low," Meredith fumed. "Alfie is five years old! He is such a happy, normal kid, he doesn't need a man whore like that in his life!"

"I agree that he doesn't need him in his life," said Megan calmly. "But he is the only father he has."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No," said Megan seriously. "Yes he has major flaws, I could sit here for weeks and list all of his flaws, but he isn't all bad. He is Derek's best friend, at the least you must trust his judgment and he is with your half sister..."

"Shouldn't it be our half sister," Meredith pointed out.

"I have barely spoken to the woman," said Megan. "DNA alone doesn't make someone your sister."

"He is taking advantage of Lexie anyway, she is young and her mother died last year," said Meredith. "She is an intern and he is an attending."

"Pot, kettle and black are the words that spring to mind with that argument," said Megan. "Look I'm not saying that either of us have to be his biggest fan, but he is Alfie's father and your fiancé's best friend, never laying eyes on him is not an option."

"Maybe I was a little harsh," said Meredith. "But it just makes me so mad that anyone could abandon a child, not least my little nephew."

"I know," said Megan. "But do you remember what we used to be like? If you had told me eight years ago that this would be my life I would have laughed."

"What are you going to do about Mark and Alfie?" asked Meredith. She had gotten so mad the day before that she had never got round to asking.

"Well Alfie hasn't mentioned anything about meeting his father since I spoke to him about it," said Megan. "I don't want to push him, so if Mark wants to do this the hard way then that is what we'll do. I have an appointment with a family lawyer tomorrow, this guy is meant to be like shark."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"I'll be okay alone," said Megan. "But thanks."

"Oh no," Meredith groaned when she spotted Mark's car pull up in the street. "What are they doing here?"

"They came to sort things out," said Megan. "Derek told me they were coming."

"He knew!"

"Yes," said Megan calmly. "He didn't tell you because you would start yelling at him again, and Derek has not done anything wrong."

"He should have told me the truth."

"So should I have," said Megan. "And it wasn't Derek's place to tell you anything."

"I expect more from Derek than I do from Mark," said Meredith. "He wasn't even curious about Alfie."

"I never said that," said Megan. "He emailed me after I left Mark. I changed all my numbers so that was the only way he could contact me, he set up a bank account for Alfie with $5000 in it. He said that Mark was his best friend so he couldn't go behind his back, but that he and Addison wanted the baby to have something for when they were older. I put the money in his college fund."

"He didn't tell me that," said Meredith. "You think he would have pointed out something he did right."

"Yeah you would think," said Megan. "Derek is a great guy and he will make a great Dad someday."

"I know," said Meredith. Lexie and Mark were now fast approaching them, they were now in earshot of their conversation.

"Can you please be a calm adult now?" said Megan. "You don't have to apologize for anything just don't throw them out."

"Fine," said Meredith feeling like she was six years old and being told to play nicely with the neighbors.

"Be nice," said she sternly as Mark and Lexie stood in front of them.

"Look Meredith I feel really weird about yesterday," Lexie started.

"I'll leave you to it," said Megan.

"Why don't you stay?" said Lexie in almost forced way. "This is after all about you."

"Yeah," said Megan. "I think I think I'll skip it. I really don't need to be involved in this conversation. I don't concern myself with him anymore, and my little sister seems to be fine now."

"Megan," sighed Meredith.

"What?"

"Stop being a bitch," said Meredith.

"Fine," sighed Megan. She knew Meredith was right, Lexie hadn't done anything wrong. Megan just couldn't help but take an instant dislike to the woman that was raised by her father and now was seeing the man that really hurt her. Megan was really not comfortable with the term breaking her heart it just seemed like it was out of a bad romance novel. Her heart was an organ not something that she gave to a man, that would be her trust.

"I'm sorry if you felt I overreacted yesterday," said Meredith. "I think he is the scum of the earth. I don't understand how anyone could walk out of their child before they were born, and I never will so don't even bother trying to explain it to me."

"If you just..." Mark started.

"No," said Meredith firmly. "You are Derek's best friend and you are sleeping with Lexie. So I accept that you have to be in my life, but don't think for a minute that I don't have the lowest possible opinion of you right now. And I do agree with Megan that you shouldn't be anywhere near my nephew."

"That really isn't any of your business nor should you have a say in it," said Mark his voice like steel.

"Mark," Lexie said in a reprimanding voice.

"No, what right does she have to tell me if I should see my kid?"

"Keep your voice down," said Megan. "He can hear you."

"Maybe he should," said Mark looking over to where his little boy was throwing a basketball to Alex.

"Don't even think about it," said Megan. "Look do you two mind if I talk to Mark on my own for a minute?"

"Okay," said Meredith knowing Megan wouldn't do anything with Alfie there.

"Honey?" said Lexie looking up at Mark as if expecting him to demand that anything Megan had to say to him, she could say in front of her.

"Yeah give us a minute," said Mark not taking his eyes off Megan's face, as if he was trying to work out what she was going to say. Lexie reluctantly followed Meredith into the house.

"I got your letter," said Megan conversationally.

"I didn't want to have to do it this way," said Mark. "You aren't giving me a choice."

"Because I know you aren't ready to give up everything for him, are you?"

"No," said Mark honestly. "You can't expect me to feel like his father, if I can't spend time with him. I mean I know he is my kid and I feel...I don't know what it is but it's something strong and I can't walk away from it."

"Okay," said Megan surprised that he was being so honest about it. "Since we are being honest, I might as well tell you that I talked to Alfie and I told him that his father had sent a letter and wants to see him."

"What did he say?"

"Not a lot," said Megan. "You haven't really been a big topic in our house, he asked me the usual kind of questions when he was at pre-school but other than that he never really asked about you. I told him that if he wanted you to visit then you could."

"I can?" asked Mark looking up in surprise, he thought that Megan would never let him near their son.

"Yes," said Megan. "But he hasn't mentioned it again and I am not going to force him to meet you. I got a lawyer as well, and I'll fight to keep you out of Alfie's life until he says otherwise."

"He's five years old," said Mark angrily, he thought she was going to let him see Alfie. "You can't expect him to make that sort of decision."

"He is the only one that has any right to make that decision, you sure as hell don't!" snapped Megan.

"He is a child."

"I know," said Megan. "What I'm trying to say is...if he changes his mind when he is older then I won't object to the two of you getting to know each other but...will you still want to?"

"Of course I will," said Mark angrily.

"Okay then," said Megan. "I'm going to go now."

"I'm not going to stop trying to see him," said Mark. "I don't want to lose anymore time, but this isn't some personal thing against you."

"It's my son," said Megan understanding where he was coming from, even if she didn't like it. Mark was never going to wait on the sidelines. "It doesn't get anymore personal."

"I mean I don't want it to affect our relationship."

"We don't have a relationship," said Megan.

"You know what I mean," said Mark uncomfortably, he didn't want to be on bad term with her.

"Actually I don't," said Megan calmly. "Goodbye."

"Bye," sighed Mark.

"Oh and don't worry about Meredith, she has a weird thing about absent fathers but she'll get over it," said Megan.

Mark stood and watched for the third time, his son being put in the car and being driven off, not evening know who he was. It didn't get any easier, it was actually getting harder to watch Megan drive Alfie off, like she was taking a little piece of him with her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

A few weeks later, Megan and Mark's lawyers were still trying to determine the best way to move forward with Mark's access bid. Megan had instructed her lawyer to stall as long as possible, the last thing she wanted was to go to court. Alfie had been talking vaguely about his Dad, just mentioning him in passing but still wouldn't say if he wanted to meet him and Megan was still reluctant to push the subject.

It was a Sunday and Megan had gotten called into the hospital, one of the board members had requested her services at the last minute. She had agreed to go in for an hour on the condition that she could bring Alfie, it was the nanny's day off. Richard had been so eager not to disappoint the Board member that he had agreed. Meredith had volunteered to look after him but she had gotten paged to a surgery so Derek was watching over him.

"Mr. Shepherd," said Alfie, looking up from his coloring in.

"Yes," said Derek. It was so weird to be called Mr instead of Doctor, but he had learned from his very first conversation with Alfie that he was very polite.

"Do you have a Daddy?" he asked inquisitively.

"Yes," said Derek. "But he died."

"Were you sad?" he asked as if he wasn't sure if he should ask.

"Yes I was very sad," said Derek. "But I know that he is up in heaven now."

"I didn't have a Daddy," said Alfie. "But now I do, he sent me a letter."

"He did?"

"Yup," said Alfie. "But Mummy said I can see him if I want to, but..."

"But what?" asked Derek.

"Mummy said he not a bad man but..." said Alfie as if he was struggling to find the right words to express himself. "Nathan said that his Mummy cries when his Daddy visits, I don't want my Mummy to cry."

"She wouldn't cry," said Derek compassionately. He had never even heard of a time when Megan had cried, she was far too proud. He couldn't help but smile at what a smart, sensitive little boy Alfie was, it was so sweet that he would be worried about Megan.

"Do you know my Daddy?" Alfie asked looking up his Derek with his big eyes.

"Yes," said Derek carefully. "I do know your Daddy."

"Is he nice?"

"He is," said Derek.

"He won't upset my Mummy?"

"No he won't," said Derek.

"I did a tally mark table," said Alfie taking a piece of paper out of his pocket. "I asked people with Daddies and people that don't have Daddies."

"You did a survey in Kindergarten?" asked Derek amused.

"No a tally mark table," said Alfie. "They showed us how to in math."

"Okay what does your tally mark table say?"

"Peoples loves their Daddies," said Alfie. "But some people have bad Daddies. I not want a bad Daddy."

"You don't have a bad Daddy."

"Does my Daddy ask about me?" asked Alfie in a small voice.

"Yes," said Derek. "He asks about you every day."

"I'm scared," said Alfie.

"Why are you scared?"

"I want to live with my Mummy," said Alfie. "I not want to have a Step-Mummy."

"Have you talked to your Mummy about this?" asked Derek. It wasn't his place to reassure Alfie about what would happen if he started to see Mark.

"I not want her to cry."

"Your Mummy doesn't cry," said Derek. "She is tough."

"Hmmmm," said Alfie as if he was thinking really hard.

"If you have questions you should ask your Mum," said Derek. "I know she wouldn't mind answering them."

"Ask me what?" said Megan. She had finished her work for the day and gone to find Alfie.

"Alfie was asking me about his Dad," said Derek. "He has a few questions for you."

"Do you?" asked Megan. "You know I will answer any questions you have about your dad."

"Okay," said Alfie seriously. "Can we talk about it Mummy?"

"Yes, come on I'll get you some cake downstairs and we have a talk," said Megan.

"Okay," said Alfie.

"Thank Dr. Shepherd for looking after you," said Megan as she took Alfie by the hand.

"Thank you," said Alfie.

"It was my pleasure," said Derek genuinely.

"Thanks Derek," said Megan. "Do you have...a cell phone number that I..."

"Here," said Derek handing her Mark's cell phone number. "Good luck."

"Thank you."

* * *

That night after Megan had put Alfie to bed, she took out the cell phone number Derek had given her. After talking to Alfie that afternoon, he had told her that he wanted to meet his Dad as long as she was with him. Now she had to phone Mark and tell him. She quickly dialed his number before she lost her nerve.

"Hello," he said as if he was in the middle of something.

"Hi it's Megan," she said.

"Megan," he sighed. "What do you want?"

"Well..."

"Is the boy okay?" he asked suddenly sounding worried.

"Yeah he's fine it's nothing like that," she said anxiously. "I just..."

"Megan what is it?" said Mark. "We shouldn't even be talking, our lawyers..."

"Screw the lawyers," said Megan getting her nerve back. "I had a long talk with Alfie this afternoon, it helped clarify a few things for him. Look he said he wants to meet you, so if you're still open to it then it's fine by me."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," said Megan. "I told you if he wanted to see you that I would be fine with it."

"That's great," said Mark sounding genuinely overjoyed.

"Okay then," said Megan seriously.

"So when do I get to see him?"

"Um...we have to set out some rules," said Megan. "He is the most precious thing I have in the world, and I have to trust you with him so there is going to be some rules because if you hurt him, I will kill you."

"Okay, rules are fine," said Mark excitedly. "So when? Do we have to set out rules before I see him or...."

"Do you have plans tomorrow afternoon?" asked Megan.

"No I only have elective surgeries, so I can push them," said Mark.

"Well he gets out of school at three, we are home by half past three and he doesn't go to bed until eight," said Megan. "So if you come by the house between half past three and eight. When he goes to bed we can talk."

"Okay tomorrow is great," said Mark.

"I'll give you directions."

"Uh not to sound like a stalker but I know where you live," Mark confessed.

"Kinda creepy," said Megan. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you and thanks," said Mark.

"Don't thank me thank Alfie."

* * *

**3 updates in 3 days. Come on ppl that deserves more than 2 reviews**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The next afternoon Megan brought Alfie back from school, he had barely changed out of his school uniform when the doorbell rang. Megan hadn't told Alfie that Mark was coming to visit, she didn't want him to get excited in case something came up at the hospital and he couldn't make it. She didn't really think that Mark would stand up his own the first day, but she knew that sometimes you can't control things at the hospital.

When she answered the door, she found Mark standing on the doorstep looking so nervous and carrying a bag.

"Mark hi," she said.

"Hi," he said.

"You're early."

"Oh sorry you told me half past three, right?"

"Yes," she smiled. "I'm sorry, I just thought you wouldn't be here until later."

"I want to spend as much time with him as I can," said Mark. "Surgeries can wait."

"Come on in," said Megan feeling genuinely bad for him, he seemed so nervous and Mark Sloan did not get nervous. She showed Mark into the living room. "Have a seat."

"Thanks."

"I uh...haven't told Alfie that you are coming," said Megan. "We just got back."

"Okay," said Mark slowly as if he was expecting Megan to send him away.

"Just give me a few minutes to talk to him," said Megan.

"Okay," said Mark knowing that he had to trust Megan when it came to Alfie because she was the one that had been raising him, he was a stranger to the boy.

"He drew you a picture," said Megan lifting a piece of paper from the coffee table. "He told me to send it with my letter. It's meant to be of him and me and...I think his bike. He gets his artistic side from me."

"Thank you," said Mark touched by the drawing. It was so child like and sweet, just like a five year old would draw for his father. It was weird he knew he was a Dad but it hadn't quite sunk in with him yet.

"We'll be down in a minute," said Megan.

"I got him a present, I hope that's okay," said Mark. "Derek says he likes to read."

"Yeah he's just started the Famous Five series," said Megan.

"I know," said Mark. "I wasn't sure what ones he had so I got him the whole series."

"He only has the first one," said Megan. It was quite sweet that Mark had gone to that much trouble to find out what Alfie likes and what books he was reading. "He'll be thrilled, he's almost finished it."

"I'm not going to spoil him," Mark said trying to reassure her that he wasn't going to try and buy Alfie's love. "I just thought that because it was the first time..."

"I understand," said Megan smiling fondly at him. "It's fine. He will love the gift and we can talk about all this other stuff when he goes to bed."

"Okay," said Mark feeling better. He was dreading that Megan might start on him about giving Alfie a gift, he knew he didn't know much about parenting but he wanted to give Alfie something. "Now go and get my son."

"Okay, I'll be right back," said Megan.

She all but ran up the stairs as she could hear Alfie rustling about. She went into his room and found him bundling up his school clothes and trying to stuff them under his bed.

"Alfie," said Megan sternly. "You know that to do with your uniform, take it downstairs and put it in the laundry."

"Okay," he said dramatically, he got to his feet and bundled his clothes in his arms.

"Not yet," said Megan. "Sit down Alfie I need to talk to you."

"You said I had to put my clothes in the laundry."

"You do," said Megan. "But first I need to talk to you about your Daddy."

"Did you send him my picture?" he asked as he threw his clothes in a heap on the floor. Megan just sighed, getting Alfie to do his laundry would always be a constant battle today would be no different.

"I did and he loved it," said Megan. "In fact he loved it so much that he came to visit."

"He was here?" said Alfie disheartened. "I missed him."

"No you didn't miss him," said Megan putting her arm around his little shoulder. "He is downstairs in the living room right now."

"Now?" asked Alfie his eyes lighting up. "My Daddy is in my house."

"Yes," said Megan. "Is that okay?"

"Uh huh," said Alfie. "Was he nice to you?"

"Yes he was very nice," Megan reassured him. "And he can't wait to see you."

"Will you come with me Mummy?" asked Alfie looking up at her uncertainly.

"Of course I will," said Megan pulling Alfie onto her knee. "I will be here the whole time, I promise."

"Okay," he said. "Can we go now?"

"Yes," she said kissing the top of his head.

She got up and put him on the ground and took his hand. Alfie sort of froze when they got the living room door, so Megan stepped inside the room ahead of him.

"Come on it's okay," she said softly to Alfie. Mark was practically sitting on the edge of his seat watching the door.

Alfie quickly peeked his little head in the room and quickly pulled it back into the hallway and let out a little giggle.

"Come on little guy," said Megan lifting him up. She placed him on her hip and sat down next to Mark on the sofa, she place Alfie on her knee. He was clinging onto her arm. "Alfie this is your Dad. Say hello."

"Hi," he said shyly as he hid his face in Megan's shoulder.

"Hi Alfie," said Mark.

"Come on Alfie stop being silly," said Megan. "Look I think your Dad has a present for you."

Alfie lifted his head uncertainly and looked up at Mark. "I have a present?"

"Yes I brought you a present," said Mark lifting up the bag and handing it to Alfie.

"Wow," he gasped when he saw all the books lined up in the box set. "Look Mummy."

"Wow," she said. "Look at all those books they will keep you going until next year."

"Thank you Daddy," said Alfie his eyes still wide in amazement. Something about the way he said Daddy tugged at Mark's heart, he was so sweet and innocent he didn't even realize the effect one word could have on him.

"You're welcome," said Mark.

"Hey Alfie why don't you show your Dad your books," said Megan hoping that Alfie would be okay on his own with Mark now that he had broken the ice. "You can pick a place to put all your new ones."

"Okay," said Alfie hopping off Megan's knee. "It's up in my room."

"Okay," said Mark "Lead the way."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Later that night Megan was tidying up in the kitchen, Mark was reading Alfie a chapter of his book. They had gotten on surprisingly well, after Alfie's initial shyness everything had gone very well. They had played soccer in the backyard, Mark had even helped Alfie with his math homework and now he was reading to him before bed. It was amazing how quickly they had bonded and how well they had gotten on together in the space of a few hours.

"He's asleep," said Mark leaning against the kitchen door frame.

"Good, thanks for that," said Megan.

"Thank you for letting me see him," said Mark sincerely. "We both know that even if I did take it to court I wouldn't have won...not after what I did to you. The most I would have gotten was supervised visits, one hour a month. Even my lawyer told me that."

"Well for what it's worth, I think it's better this way," said Megan. "Do you want some food?"

"No I don't want to intrude."

"It's fine," said Megan pulling a tray of lasagna out of the fridge. "I'm just going to freeze the rest anyway."

"Yeah okay then," said Mark "I'm starving."

"I figured," said Megan putting the tray in the oven. She went into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer and handed it to Mark. "Come on we can talk in the living room."

"Thanks," he said opening the beer and taking a long drink. For some reason he was nervous, he was finding it harder and harder to read Megan's moods, he used to be able to make a pretty accurate guess of how she was going to react to things but she had shut down now.

"Alfie had a great time today," said Megan as she settled on the armchair by the window.

"So did I," said Mark. "You've done an amazing job with him."

"Thank you," said Megan. "I guess you're probably wondering about the sudden change in my opinion."

"Kinda."

"I'm not going to have Alfie blame me for not having you in his life. My Dad walked out on me and my mother made it impossible for him to stay in contact with me and Meredith. Once I realized how serious you were about seeing him, I told Alfie. I know he is only five years old but I felt he should be the one to decide. I still don't trust you," said Megan. "I don't trust you one little bit, but in some ways I do still trust you."

"What do you mean?"

"I still trust that you are a decent person and a good doctor," said Megan. "I trust that you wouldn't harm Alfie."

"Uh...thanks," said Mark. He hated that she only trusted him not to harm their son, that hurt.

"But Alfie wants you in his life," Megan continued. "He is the only thing that matters in any of this. So I am happy for the two of you to spend time together, but there are some rules."

"Okay lets hear it," said Mark. They might as well get it over and done with.

"Alright first of all, I'd like to be around when you see him at least at first. We can gradually ease him into it, the two of you can spend time here and I'll go up to my office. You can take him to the park around the corner, but I'd like to keep him in his comfort zone while he gets used to you."

"That sounds fair enough," said Mark.

"Good we can talk about you taking him out alone in a few weeks," said Megan.

"What are the rest?"

"I get that you have to work weird hours as apposed to my working day, so I'm happy for you to see him when you can we don't have to have set days and times because I know that it is unreasonable to expect your schedule to be the same every week," said Megan as if she had been rehearsing it. "But I am asking that you give me as much notice as possible, a day or two."

"Okay."

"I won't lie for you," said Megan. "If you start to blow him off I won't lie to him for you. If you have genuine reason like another ferry disaster then that is fine, but taking your latest conquest to a club opening is not."

"I won't," said Mark although he couldn't really blame Megan for doubting him. He knew he had to prove to her that he could be a good Dad, in fact he had a lot to prove to her.

"Also I haven't raised a brat," said Megan. "When you start to take him by yourself, he tidies up after himself and he knows the difference between right and wrong. If he misbehaves then I explain to him why what he did was wrong, and then depending on what it was give out a suitable punishment."

"Okay," said Mark even though he knew that he would have no idea how to discipline Alfie, he just hoped he would never have to.

"The next one is a little awkward," said Megan. "The women in your life, I know from past experience that there are always plenty. I just ask that you follow the standard I set myself. I have never introduced a guy I'm seeing to my son. He doesn't need the disruption in his life, so please don't introduce him to women unless you are marrying them or they have moved in, and with your past...I don't see that happening yet."

"Okay," said Mark. It all seemed pretty reasonable.

"But I do understand that Lexie is different," said Megan. "I know you are dating her, but she is Meredith's sister so I don't really know..."

"When Alfie is around there will be nothing to suggest anything is going on," said Mark firmly.

"Well that is your decision," said Megan. "Lexie is the exception to rule."

"There is no point in confusing him," said Mark.

"Okay then," said Megan. "I think that pretty much covers everything major. Unless there was something you wanted to talk to me about."

"Yeah a few things actually," said Mark clearing his throat. "I was wondering about his birth certificate and if...am I on it?"

"Yeah," said Megan. "You are named as his father, I wanted him to be able to track you down when he was older but...I didn't give him your name. His name is Alfie Ewan Grey."

"And uh...child support?" he said awkwardly. He was never comfortable talking about money, it always made it feel sort of guilty for some reason.

"Not necessary," said Megan sharply.

"I think it is," said Mark. "I want to pay my share."

"We don't need it," said Megan. "I make more than enough, probably even more than you do now."

"That isn't the point," said Mark seriously. "Please I want to provide for him."

"Fine," said Megan. There was no point in arguing with him, Mark could be incredibly stubborn when he wanted to be. "That can be set up by the lawyers."

"Yeah the lawyers," said Mark. "About them..."

"Look I am happy for them to draw up a formal contract that sets out a minimum amount of hours you can see him a week," said Megan. "But I'm not sure about you know the whole joint custody thing. You have only spent one night with him and I'm sorry I won't do it. We never made anything legal when he was born, mainly because I had no idea where you were..."

"I think it was the other way around," Mark pointed out.

"Whatever," said Megan dismissively. "My point is I didn't make you sign away your parental rights, so please don't push me on joint custody okay?"

"Okay," said Mark. "I was just going to say that we are going to have to tell that we don't need to go to court. I didn't actually think about joint custody."

"Oh...sorry."

"It's okay," said Mark. "But now that you mention it...maybe we could talk about it in a few months."

"Yeah maybe," said Megan.

"I do appreciate this," said Mark. "You had every reason to keep him as far away from me as possible. I know what I did all those years ago and I will always hate myself for it. I'm just so grateful that you're giving me another chance."

"It's for Alfie," said Megan. "But I swear if you let him down or hurt him in anyway, you will never see him again and I will kill you."

"I know," said Mark. He knew he would only get one chance, and it was more than he deserved. "I know that you are taking such a big risk, and that I only get one shot with this. I will make it work. I also know that you have no reason to trust me but I earned your trust once and I'll do it again."

"Well I won't hold my breath," said Megan.

"We can be on good terms, can't we?" Mark asked. "Not just in front of Alfie?"

"I don't know, can we?" said Megan.

"I'd like to think we can, we were friends for a long time."

"I think we made too many mistakes," said Megan. "Not just you. I made a lot of mistakes too."

"Can't we just put it behind us?"

"I can't," said Megan. "I can't forget."

"I'll make this work."

"I hope you do," said Megan. "Surely you can't be over what I did to you."

"No, you gave me ten minutes to make up my mind about the rest of our lives and I lost five years of my son's life. I am not over that yet," said Mark. "But I don't think you did it to be cruel. I think you were genuinely panicking, you never were very good at waiting you always needed an answer right away."

"What would have been the point in sticking around?" asked Megan.

"There would have been a lot of point in sticking around," said Mark his stare piercing into her soul.

"Maybe."

"But I have put it behind me though," said Mark. "And I'm not angry about it."

"Well I thought it was behind me as well but clearly it's not," said Megan. "I never thought I would have to see you again."

"Well you will have to get used to seeing me, I'm not going anywhere," said Mark.

"Good I hope not," said Megan. "You are the first man I have let in Alfie's life in such a big way."

"I'm his father," said Mark. "I'm supposed to be the first and only."

"I'm not going to argue with you," said Megan sharply. She felt like he was trying to get a reaction from her, their whole relationship was built from passion using starting with an argument.

"Fine," said Mark. "Unless there is anything else, I'll just be going."

"I think that's everything," said Megan. "I'll call my lawyer about the access formalities."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Mer are my eyebrows uneven?" Megan asked. She was back working at Seattle Grace that week. Mark had been seeing Alfie for almost a month now and the previous day he had taken him out on his own to the zoo.

"What?"

"My eyebrows are they uneven?" Megan repeated.

"No they are fine," said Meredith. "Why?"

"Because for the first time in five years I actually had time to go to the salon, I got a manicure, pedicure, facial, my legs waxed and my eyebrows done," said Megan. "And they look weird."

"They look fine," said Meredith. "Since when do you worry about your looks."

"I have a date," said Megan. "A real live date, I haven't had a real date in more than oh god...almost ten years."

"Ten years?" Meredith exclaimed. "How is that even possible?"

"Well...I was with Mark for three years before I had Alfie. I was pregnant for nine months, and I haven't been on a date since Alfie was born."

"Why now then?"

"Well Alfie has his Dad in his life now, I don't have to...he has a male influence in his life now, there is less pressure not to mention I have a few free nights now," said Megan. "And I don't want to be an old maid."

"You won't be an old maid," Meredith smiled.

"I could be," said Megan. "Alfie will leave me one day and I'll just be old and bitter. My idea of a good time will be hitting the neighborhood kids with my stick."

"Don't you want more kids?" asked Meredith.

"I used to," said Megan. "But half brothers and sisters are confusing enough, but I don't want Alfie ending up with two sets of half siblings."

"I guess that could be kind of confusing for a kid," said Meredith.

"I don't know about you but I was always grateful to Mum for never landing us with a nightmare stepfather and a brood of siblings," said Megan.

"Yeah me too," said Meredith. "But on the other hand maybe it would have been nice to meet Lexie when we were younger."

"Yeah I don't know," said Megan. "Maybe it would be easier if we didn't have a half sister."

"Megan come on," said Meredith. "I know it's weird, it was weird for me too but she is really nice."

"I'm sure she is," said Megan. "But she's not my sister. I didn't grow up with her, I didn't teach her how to use a tampon and yell at her every time she used my shampoo. DNA does not make someone your sister."

"You should at least try with her," said Meredith. "She really wants to get to know you."

"She is sleeping with my ex," said Megan. "The father of my son, I might add. I think it is safe to say that any relationship we will have in the future will be because she is dating the father of my son and not because my Dad left me to become her Dad."

"Oh God," Meredith groaned. "This is too cliché."

"What is?"

"She has everything you have had to live without," said Meredith. "She got your father, you had to go through your childhood without him. Now she has the guy you obviously loved at one point."

"You really shouldn't try and be my shrink," said Megan. "It is like the blind leading the blind."

"I'm right though."

"No you're not," said Megan. "I don't have the same Daddy issues you have, I was older I got over it. And as for Mark, we were never supposed to be together."

"If you say so."

"You have become one of those smug happy people in a happy relationship that tries to tell other people how to live their lives," said Megan viciously.

"Take that back!"

"Nope," smirked Megan. "I have to go and meet with the Chief and his head of departments about some new case...I don't really see what they need me for, apparently it just sounds good having a genetics specialist on the staff."

"Well good luck."

"Thank you."

* * *

Half way through her meeting with Richard, Derek, Mark and the other heads of department, Megan felt her cell phone vibrate. She glanced down and panicked when she saw it was Alfie's school. They never called.

"Excuse me," said Megan standing up. "I have to take this call."

"Dr. Grey sit down!" said Richard clearly furious.

"It's my son's school," she said over her shoulder as she flipped her phone open. "Hello."

"Hello is that Miss Grey," said the voice on the other said.

"Yes," said Megan. "Is everything alright?"

"Well there was an incident in the playground this morning," said the voice. "Miss Rowan sorted it out but it appears there was an altercation in the lunchroom."

"Is Alfie alright?" asked Megan impatiently.

"He has gotten rather upset," said the voice. "We have been unable to calm him down. We are happy for him to stay until the end of the day as I understand you are a working mother..."

"I'll be there to pick him up in ten minutes," said Megan irritably. How dare that secretary assume that because she was a working mother, she would just leave her son at school when he was upset.

"Is everything okay?" Mark asked poking his head out of the conference room.

"Alfie is upset," said Megan. "Apparently something happened at lunchtime. Can you tell Richard that I have to take off, I'm going to pick him up now."

"Do you want me to come?"

"No it's fine," said Megan. "I'll call you and let you know what's going on."

"Okay thanks."

* * *

"Mark do you have a surgery?" asked Megan. She had was just putting Alfie into the car. He was still upset and she wouldn't tell him what was wrong, he kept asking for Mark.

"Yes," said Mark. "I'm just about to scrub in."

"Damn," she muttered.

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked urgently. "What happened with Alfie?"

"I don't know," she said. "He keeps asking for you, he's pretty upset but he won't tell me what happened?"

"Right okay," said Mark. "I can wrap up the surgery in about an hour and let the resident finish."

"Okay," said Megan. "I'll bring him to the hospital, he can watch from the gallery and...maybe you can talk to him."

"Okay," said Mark. "I'll finish as soon as I can."

"I don't like this," said Megan. "He never used to keep things from me before, you have been brainwashing him."

"I have not."

"Well what do the two of you talk about then when you huddle together?"

"Nothing, just stuff," laughed Mark.

"Well it must be something, you better not be giving him girl advice. You know encourage him not to talk to women and treat them badly...I will maim you."

"He is five," Mark chuckled. "We do not talk about girls."

"You better not!"

"I have to go into surgery now," said Mark. "Just bring him to the hospital and I'll see if I can try where you failed."

"I did not fail!" Megan hissed.

"So what happened to him at school and why is he upset?"

"I hate you," said Megan as she hung up on Mark who was openly laughing at her now.

"Who do you hate Mummy?" asked Alfie as she sat in the car.

"Nobody sweetie," said Megan. "I was just talking to your Daddy, we are going to the hospital now. But he has to work for a little while then you can talk to him, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you want to tell me what happened at school?" Megan asked again. "You can still talk to your Daddy about it."

"No want Daddy," said Alfie stubbornly.

"But honey maybe I can help. If someone is picking on you then I could..."

"No I want Daddy!" Alfie shouted.

"Don't shout," Megan reprimanded. "We are going to see your Daddy."

"Sorry Mummy," said Alfie his eyes filling with tears.

"It's okay sweetie," said Megan. "You don't have to cry, we are going to see your Daddy and I promise whatever the problem is we are going to fix it and everything will be okay."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Daddy!" Alfie shouted. Megan had just brought him up to the gallery above where Mark was operating. He started to knock on the glass.

"Honey you can't do that," said Megan taking his hands off the glass. "Daddy is working. If you want to talk to him you have to wait for him to finish."

Down in the OR Mark looked up and smiled when he saw Alfie. He took his hand out of the person he was operating on and waved up to him.

"Dr. Grey," he said to Lexie who was scrubbing in with him. "Can you complete the procedure?"

"Uh...yeah," she said. "Are you sure? You've barely started it."

"I'm sure but if you don't feel able to finish it unassisted then I'm sure Dr. Anderson will," said Mark sharply. He did not tolerate being questioned in the OR by interns, not even his girlfriend. "Anderson?"

"I'll do it Sir," said the intern confidently.

"It's all yours," said Mark putting his scalpel down. "I'll be watching from the gallery if you have any problems."

"Thank you for the opportunity," said Dr. Anderson.

"Let this be a lesson to you Dr. Grey, show no weakness especially in my OR," said Mark.

Lexie didn't answer him, she just shot him a dirty look and huffed looking up at the gallery. Mark tore off his gown and went into the scrub room. He washed his hands, tore off his mask and gloves and went up to the gallery.

"Daddy," Alfie shouted when Mark walked into the scrub room. He jumped up and ran over to Mark.

"Hey buddy," said Mark picking him up.

"You didn't have to abandon the surgery, he could have colored until you were done," said Megan.

"The patient is in capable hands," said Mark.

"You better hope so," smiled Megan. "That intern nearly wet his pants when I found out he messed up some of my test results."

"You intimidate the male gender," said Mark.

"I do not!"

"I'm not going to tell you why it is true with a five year old in the room," said Mark. "But you know the power you have and you abuse it."

"Like you don't do the same," she said.

"I never said I didn't," smirked Mark.

"Whatever," she said rolling her eyes.

"So little guy what is this your Mum has been telling me about you getting upset at school?" said Mark to Alfie. Alfie didn't answer he just buried his little head in Mark's shoulder.

"Alright I can take a hint," said Megan. "I'll leave the two of you to talk."

"Thanks," said Mark.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me," said Megan as she rubbed Alfie's back. "Okay, sweetie?"

"Okay Mummy," said Alfie lifting his head.

* * *

"Richard," said Megan as she walked into his office. "I have those reports you wanted...oh sorry." She saw that Richard was talking to an older man who looked to be in his late fifties, with very short gray hair and an ugly cardigan.

"Oh no Megan it's fine," said Richard. "This is...uh...Thatcher Grey."

"Oh hello," said Megan casually. As soon as she saw his face, she knew exactly who he was. He hadn't changed that much from his photos. "Nice to meet you."

"Uh...you too," Thatcher stuttered as he looked to Richard both of them looking as confused as each other.

"I'll just leave the reports here," said Megan placing them on his desk. "Oh and I don't know if your secretary told you yet but I got a call from someone at the Washington Medical Board they want to set up some sort of award or memorial thing for my mother. I told them to contact you about it, I really don't know how to handle it."

"I'll take care of it," said Richard softly. He instantly recognized the same small, scared child he had known in Megan. He knew her to be cool, calm and collected when confronted with a problem that didn't scare her, but like Ellis had been if she couldn't deal with an emotional problem she refused to acknowledge it.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "I should go and make sure Alfie is okay."

"Oh is everything alright? He isn't in the ER or anything?" asked Richard.

"No he's okay," said Megan. "He just wants to talk to his Dad."

"Speaking of talking to Dads..." said Richard pointedly.

"I should go and check on him," said Megan as she all but ran from the room.

* * *

Megan stormed down the hall to Mark's office, when went in and shut the door behind her. She was not expecting to come face to face to with her father, she was not prepared. She had been thinking a little bit about her father recently as she saw how well Alfie was getting on with Mark. But just seeing Thatcher like that had shocked her, she looked down and saw that her hands were shaking. Instinctively she pulled out the chair from the desk and crouched down and sat under the desk. She remembered how it used to comfort her when she was little, it still had the same effect. The world didn't exist under the desk. She pulled Mark's chair back over to the desk and used it to rest her head on.

* * *

"Meredith have you seen Megan?" Mark asked.

"No," said Meredith. "But she might be a little...N-u-t-s."

"Why?" asked Mark. He had only been talking to Alfie for ten minutes and Megan had been fine then.

"Our...uh father was in the Chief's office," said Meredith carefully. "He came to talk to me and Lexie. The Chief said Megan had accidentally walked in on them a few minutes before Lexie and I saw him."

"Lexie is in surgery."

"The Chief paged us both, she had to scrub out," said Meredith. "So I don't know where Megan is but my guess is she will be freaking out a little."

"Are you okay?" Mark asked, looking at her like she was about to lose it.

"I'm fine," said Meredith nodding her head over and over again.

"Derek," Mark called as he caught sight of him.

"Yes," said Derek as he walked towards Mark and Meredith.

"Can you look after Alfie while I go and find his mother?" Mark asked. "He has some coloring books in his bag."

"Sure no problem," said Derek. "What is wrong with Megan?"

"I don't know," said Mark. "But Thatcher is in the hospital."

"Are you okay?" Derek asked Meredith.

"I'm fine," Meredith repeated. "I can look after Alfie while you look for Megan."

"Okay thank you," said Mark. "Is it okay if Auntie looks after you while I go and find your Mummy?"

"Okay," said Alfie looking up at the grown ups. "Is Mummy upset?"

"No your Mummy is fine," said Mark bending down so that he was face to face with Alfie. "And I promise you that your Mummy will not be upset with you."

"Okay," said Alfie not looking convinced. "Does Mummy have a bad Daddy? Nelson has a bad Daddy."

"Uh..." said Mark looking up at Derek and Meredith.

"Daddy?" said Meredith. "We were talking about the priest. Do you remember when we went to the church and the priest is called a father."

"Oh," said Alfie. "But a priest can't be bad."

"Nobody said they were bad," said Meredith. "Nobody is bad, your Mummy has just gone to get some coffee and your Daddy is going to get her so that she can take you home."

"Okay," said Alfie. He had been listening to what the grown ups had been saying but he didn't quite understand it.

"I'll be back as fast as I can," said Mark.

"Okay Daddy," said Alfie.

"Come here," said Mark reaching out and hugging Alfie. "Everything is going to be okay I promise."

"Okay Daddy," said Alfie hugging Mark back.

"Love you buddy."

"Love you too Daddy."


	13. Chapter 13

This chapter is dedicated to **lilxjames**, my sole reviewer.

**

* * *

****Chapter 13**

"I get that I have an awesome ass but isn't hugging my chair a little obsessive?" said Mark dryly when he tracked Megan down to his office.

"Go away," she mumbled.

"I heard about your Dad," said Mark.

"How is Alfie?" asked Megan lifting her head up.

"He is fine," Mark quickly reassured her. "He is with Meredith coloring in."

"Meredith does she..."

"She saw your Dad and Derek is with me to make sure she doesn't freak out," said Mark.

"Good," said Megan as she let her head fall back into Mark's chair.

"You never really spoke about your father when I knew you," said Mark sitting on the floor.

"I never really spoke about much of anything when I knew you," said Megan. "We didn't talk about our families or our past."

"Maybe we should have," said Mark. "Tell me about your father."

"Not much to tell," said Megan. "He left when I was eight when he found out about my mother's affair. My mother kept seeing Richard, Meredith was a devastated five year old and I took care of her. My father never once got in touch with either of us, not on our birthdays or Christmas nothing! As far as I'm concerned he died the day he walked out on his two kids."

"I'm sorry," said Mark.

"Don't be I'm fine," said Megan.

"Yeah you look fine," said Mark.

"Is it different for men?" Megan asked.

"Is what different?"

"Being a parent? I have never spent a night apart from Alfie, I have never wanted to. I might not always be there to put him to bed but I check on him at least once in the night. I can't bear the idea of someone hurting him. He is my baby. I never knew you could love another person so much. Is it different for men when they become parents? My whole world changed. I changed who I was when he was born, you know what I was like before Alfie I was selfish, shallow, I drank too much and I hated the idea of being a mother, of being tied down," said Megan. "I know that given our recent history that asking you that is unfair but..."

"It is different," Mark sighed. "Women go through more than men, you were pregnant. You have hormones running through your body that naturally tells you that you are a mother. We don't have that. We have to build a bond with the child. But the parental love is there. I'm not saying it happened instantly for me because it didn't, but the unconditional love is definitely there now."

"I know," said Megan tenderly. "I know you love Alfie, it's pretty clear now."

"Well what I am saying is that, being a parent is different for men but ultimately it becomes the same," said Mark. "Does that make any sense?"

"Yes," she said. "I just...never could understand how he could leave his two daughters and never look back."

"I don't know how anyone could do that either," said Mark. "I can't imagine not having Alfie in my life now. I couldn't abandon him, I just couldn't."

"I know that," said Megan. "And for what it's worth, I think you are a great father."

"That means everything," said Mark. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry I didn't let you into his life sooner," said Megan genuinely.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to track you down," said Mark.

"We're going to be okay," said Megan thoughtfully. "We can do this together, raise Alfie properly I mean."

"Yeah we can," said Mark. "I'm still going to need your help."

"And apparently I need your help too," said Megan. "My son doesn't want to talk to me anymore."

"Don't take it personally," said Mark. "He had a very sweet reason not to tell you."

"What happened to him?" asked Megan. "I won't tell him you told me about it, but I need to know if I have to talk to the school about it."

"One of the boys in his class, quoted his father by saying to Alfie that you were...a nice piece of ass," said Mark. "Alfie doesn't know what that means but he knew it wasn't very nice. He got upset and the boy taunted him."

"What boy?" asked Megan.

"Uh...Jason something."

"Jason Bell," said Megan. "Yeah his father is a slime ball, he had an affair with the assistant principal."

"Well Alfie didn't want to tell you in case he offended you," said Mark.

"Awww," said Megan. "He is very sweet."

"I think you have raised a proper little gentleman," said Mark fondly.

"Yeah I think so," said Megan. "I should probably get up off the floor."

"Probably," said Mark.

"I used to hide in here when I was kid, you know," said Megan. "Back then it was Dr. Silverstein's office and he wasn't head of plastics, he was head of Cardio. He was a nice old man, never had any kids and lived alone with his three dogs. He used to give me lollipops when he found me hiding under his desk. My mother never got along with him so she never came in here to look for me, in fact she never really looked for me at all, just assumed I would turn up when I got hungry."

"Doesn't sound like much fun," said Mark. He was genuinely curious about Megan's childhood, mainly because she used to be so guarded about telling him about it, as if she thought it would scare him off when he knew how damaged she was.

"It wasn't," said Megan. "But hey neither of us had it easy as kids."

"At least we know what not to do," said Mark. He had told Megan little parts from his childhood, not any specific details. She knew that his parents were very wealthy, but completely uninterested and used to leave him home alone a lot. She knew that Derek's mum had practically adopted him.

"Well I didn't," said Megan. "My mother did make it kind of difficult for my father to stay in touch with us, not that that is an excuse for him, and I did the same."

"It's nowhere near the same kind of situation," said Mark.

"But it has similarities," said Megan.

"You are nothing like the mother your Mum was," said Mark. "I see how much you love Alfie, and what a great mother you are...can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"I wouldn't want anyone else to be raising my son," said Mark. "You are an incredible mother and I can't imagine having kids with anyone else."

"What about Lexie?" asked Megan.

"I don't know about Lexie," Mark confessed. "There used to be such a spark with her but..."

"But?"

"This is weird she is your sister," said Mark. "We shouldn't be talking about each others love lives."

"Why not?" asked Megan. "We can talk about everything else."

"Something has changed between Lexie and me," said Mark. "To be completely honest I think it's because it's not forbidden anymore, it's comfortable and little things about her have started to bother me. She's territorial, when I'm talking to other women she makes sure they know that we are together..."

"You can't really blame her given your manwhore past," Megan pointed out.

"I guess," he sighed. "But there are other things too, little mannerisms that bug me. She stopped arguing with me too, now she just agrees with me she used to tell me to shut up and...I don't know."

"It's probably just a phase," said Megan. "It's a new relationship and you are coming out of the honeymoon period. It will pass."

"You think?"

"Yeah I do," said Megan. "You aren't used to being in a relationship, you are used to your own space it's natural for you to feel like your world is being invaded."

"I guess," he sighed.

"I have my first date in ten years tomorrow," said Megan.

"Ten years?"

"Pretty much," said Megan. "I haven't gone out on dates since Alfie was born, I made booty calls to old inappropriate friends. I used men to scratch when I have an itch, but never went out on a proper date that could potentially lead to a relationship. I'm kinda nervous."

"Who are you going out with?" he asked unable to stop himself.

"Jake Adams," said Megan. "He has a little girl in the year above Alfie, he's a single parent too."

"Where are you going on your date?"

"We're going to dinner," said Megan. "I'm not sure where."

"You'll be fine, you make a excellent dinner companion," said Mark feeling that old feeling again. Back when he was just casually seeing Megan, he always felt odd when he heard about her seeing other people, it didn't feel like jealousy or anger or any other emotion he could identify it was just a feeling that only Megan had been able to bring out in him.

"But I say the most inappropriate things sometimes," she said.

"So? I always found it oddly charming," said Mark. "You don't have to worry. Megan Grey can make any man do whatever she wants them to."

"Thank you," said Megan. "We really do have to get up now."

"Yes we do," said Mark getting to his feet and offering Megan his hand. She grabbed it and let him pull her to her feet.

"I should go and talk to Alfie," said Megan. "Should I say something to Jason's father?"

"Why don't you let me deal with this?" said Mark. "I'd like to get involved in the whole school thing. And I think it would make Alfie more comfortable if I did this. I'll pick him up from school tomorrow and take care of it."

"Alright," said Megan.

"Alright?" Said Mark surprised.

"You are Alfie's Dad, I think you can handle this on your own."

"Thanks," said Mark genuinely touched that she would trust him to deal with an issue at Alfie's school.

"No problem," said Megan. "Where is Alfie?"

"With Meredith downstairs," said Mark. "I'll come with you."

"Okay," said Megan. "And this conversation never happened. I don't hide under a desk because of any man, not my father, not anyone."

"Fine, this conversation never happened," said Mark. "I have never been happier, Lexie makes me happy and I didn't say any of the other stuff."

"Of course you didn't," said Megan. "But if anything does come up, you can talk to me about it."

"I know," said Mark. "And you can feel free to crawl under my desk anytime."

"Thank you."

* * *

**REVIEW!!!**

**REVIEW!!  
REVIEW!!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Here," said Megan not sounded happy at all. She thrust her phone into Mark's hand. It was the night of her date, she was meeting Jake at Joe's in five minutes. She had called Alfie to say goodnight before he went to bed, but Alfie had insisted on saying goodnight to Mark when he heard that she was at the hospital.

"What?" asked Mark looking slightly afraid. He had just been talking to Richard and minding his own business, when an angry Megan all but threw a cell phone at him.

"He wants to talk to you," snapped Megan. "Make it quick."

"Hello," said Mark uncertainly.

"Hi Daddy," said Alfie.

"Hi buddy," said Mark. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," said Alfie. "I just going to bed soon. Mummy phoned me to say goodnight."

"Did she now?" said Mark looking Megan up and down.

"Uh huh," said Alfie and Mark could practically see him nod his little head. "So I asked Mummy if I could say goodnight to you too."

"You did?" said Mark. "Well goodnight then."

"Night Daddy."

"Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite," he said repeating what Derek's mother used to say to him when he stayed at their house when he was little.

"Bed bugs?" Alfie giggled. "Don't be silly Daddy, Mummy sprayed all my bed bugs away."

"Isn't your Mummy clever?" said Mark.

"Uh huh," said Alfie seriously. "Mummy knows everything."

"Yeah she likes to think so," said Mark. He looked over and saw Megan motioning him to hurry up. "I ...better go and make people better now, and you better go to bed."

"Alright," sighed Alfie. "Night Daddy."

"Night Alfie," said Mark and then he hung up and handed the phone back to Megan. "Is something wrong?"

"Why would anything be wrong?"

"I don't know," said Mark. "You just seem like such a ray of sunshine."

"Bite me!"

"Well you look nice," Mark smirked. "Better than nice, what is the occasion?"

"I have a date," said Megan happy to wipe that smirk off his face. "And you just made me late!"

"Oh...I forgot you had a date tonight," said Mark. "Who is looking after Alfie?"

"Well he is nearly five and a half, more than old enough to look after himself," said Megan managing to keep a straight face. "Oh take that look off your face! He has been looking after himself since he was three weeks old."

"You are not funny," said Mark. "I was merely inquiring about my son."

"Well you needn't," said Megan. "Sean is staying the night with him."

"Why didn't you ask me to look after him?"

"Because you are still here at 8pm," said Megan.

"I would have left earlier."

"Well Alfie goes to bed at 8pm, would you really want to sit around my house while Alfie was asleep and wait for me to get home from a date with another guy?" said Megan. "You would have seen Alfie for half an hour."

"Fine," Mark grumbled.

"Oh and I got your message about taking Alfie to the park tomorrow," said Megan.

"Oh good," said Mark.

"You picked him up from school yesterday," said Megan. "You are hogging our son!"

"I'm what?"

"Hogging our son," said Megan furiously. "I see him for half an hour before he goes to bed when he is grumpy!"

"You get to read him a bedtime story," said Mark. "And take him to school every morning."

"You are hogging all the good bits," said Megan.

"So I can't take him to the park tomorrow?"

"No you can," said Megan. "But quit hogging him...I gave birth to him so I get more time."

"Oh now your bringing out the vagina card!"

"The vagina card? Did you seriously just say that to me?" Megan exclaimed. "Do you have any idea what it is like to push a human being out of your body."

"Sounds like a piece of a cake."

"Ugh you are such a man!" Megan growled. "I hate you."

"You don't hate me," Mark countered.

"I do!"

"You better calm down before your date," Mark smirked. "Fury is not hot!"

"Not what you used to think."

"I'm the exception I moved in with a madwoman."

"Just stop hogging my son."

"I will certainly take your oh so eloquent criticism on board," Mark smirked.

"Good!" said Megan. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date to get to."

"Good luck," said Mark.

"I don't need luck," smirked Megan. "Have you seen how good I look?"

"Yeah I see it," Mark mumbled as he watched Megan walk off.

"Oh come on," said Richard. "What is it my residents say...oh seriously!"

"What?"

"You were flirting with my genetics specialist," Richard accused.

"I was not," said Mark. "That is just how I talk to Megan, and she isn't your genetics specialist she just works in this hospital sometimes. She isn't even a surgeon."

"She is a surgeon," Richard insisted. "She is a damn fine surgeon if only she wasn't afraid to pick up a damn scalpel!"

"Megan isn't afraid of anything," said Mark.

"Then you ask her why she turned down my offer?" said Richard.

"What offer?"

"I offered to match what Mercy West paid her plus 10%, she could work flexible hours and still do her own research," said Richard. "Tell me what kind of person would turn an offer like that down."

"Someone who is terrified of becoming their mother," said Mark realizing that would be the only reason Megan would refuse Richard's offer. She had been set on becoming a surgeon before Alfie was born, then when she became a mother she gave up on being a surgeon. It wasn't just because she wanted a 9-5 job, she didn't want to be the kind of mother Ellis had been to her and Meredith.

"What?"

"Megan," said Mark. "She won't be a surgeon like her mother because she won't be a crappy mother."

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Richard shouted. "You cut, you don't become people by picking up a scalpel."

"Or hiding under Dr. Silverstein's desk when you find your mother and her 'special friend' going at it," said Mark.

"I never thought she saw anything," said Richard guiltily. "There were a few close calls but..."

"Well she did," said Mark. "And it's not the kind of thing you would ever forget."

"I guess not," said Richard slowly walking away.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

**Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter, lilxjames, kamygrey, hugeGAfan**

**Review **

**Review **

**Review**

**Review**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Later that night Mark was sitting at the bar in Joe's with Meredith and Derek. He hadn't told them that he had spoken to Megan earlier. Meredith had told him about Megan's date, then started to interrogate him and Derek about their past with Megan. She didn't believe it was as tame as they made it sound, she was right.

"Come on you have to give me something,"Meredith moaned.

"There is nothing to give," said Derek. "You seem to think that your sister turned us into a bunch of sex crazed weirdos."

"I'm just curious," she said. "I want to know what you were like before I met you. It's weird you all have this big past together I don't know about."

"Ugh," said Megan as she came stomping into the bar. She sat on the stool next to Meredith. "Joe can I have a big drink."

"Of anything specific," said Joe.

"That bottle will do," said Megan taking the bottle from his hand. She almost laughed when she saw that it was tequila. "And a shot glass please."

"Is everything okay Meg?" Meredith asked carefully after Megan had downed her sixth shot.

"Can you please just answer one question for me?" said Megan as she poured herself another shot.

"Sure."

"Where have all the real men gone?"

"Pardon?" said Meredith.

"Where have all the real men gone?" Megan repeated.

"I assume the date didn't go well then," said Meredith.

"No it didn't," said Megan. "All he would talk about is his daughter and the love he feels for her and how he wishes she could have a normal family. He is a wife hunter. He is looking for a stepford wife. It gave me the creeps."

"Oh dear," said Meredith. "Did you sleep with him?"

"No," said Megan. "It was the first date."

"Never stopped you before."

"Besides you could totally tell that he was sappy kind that called it making love and would want to hold you afterwards," Megan scoffed. "This is why I date musicians, they pour all their feelings into their work and don't have any left over for relationships, not unlike surgeons..."

"Hey I have emotions," said Mark. He didn't mean to say it but he couldn't help it. He hated that she had implied that he didn't show his emotions to her, he had.

"I never said you didn't," said Megan.

"Maybe you should slow down a little," said Meredith as Megan downed yet another shot.

"Or maybe I should speed up?"

"No you shouldn't," said Mark getting off his stool. "Come on I'm taking you home."

"No you're not," said Megan bluntly.

"You'll thank me when Alfie is up at 7am wanting breakfast," said Mark. "Besides you can't operate if you're hungover."

"I'm not operating at all," Megan snorted.

"Yeah you are," said Mark.

"That sounds like a order," said Megan. "Although I doubt you would be that stupid."

"Try me," said Mark looking her straight in eye. "Move!"

"No!"

"You can either walk out of here or be carried," said Mark. "Which is it going to be?"

"You can't drive, you've been drinking," said Megan as Derek and Meredith exchanged a look between them.

"I have had one beer," said Mark. "I am under the legal limit."

"Well unfortunately I am nowhere near drunk enough to let you drive me home," said Megan crossing her arms.

"Too bad," said Mark crossing his arms as well. "Isn't this just a little cliché?"

"No."

"Getting drunk in a bar after a bad date?" said Mark. "You were doing this fifteen years ago."

"You didn't know me fifteen years ago and I couldn't drink back then."

"Fine twelve years ago," said Mark. "You'll get drunk and some random guy will try to pick you up, you'll either go home with them and regret it tomorrow or you will turn them down in the charming manner you have when you are drunk, they will either just leave or get nasty. If they get nasty you will be too drunk to take care of it yourself and that won't lead to anything good."

"You think you know me so well," said Megan. "You don't!"

"Don't I?" asked Mark.

"No you don't!" said Megan raising her voice in frustration.

"Yes I do," said Mark softly into her ear. "I know exactly how to make you scream."

"Go to hell!"

"I've been there, I didn't care for it very much," said Mark yanking her coat from her bar stool.

"And how dare you accuse me of being cliché? Is there anything more cliché than screwing an intern?" said Megan trying not to show Mark how furious she was.

"I don't know, is there?" said Mark calmly.

"No it's just plain sick," said Megan. "She is barely out of diapers, and you are sleeping with her because you are her boss and she can't risk pissing you off. You are sleeping with her because it is easy, she is too young and naive to challenge you, she just assumes you are right because you are her teacher at work."

"Are you done?" said Mark his voice eerily calm.

"I'm just getting started," said Megan.

"Why don't you get going outside then," said Mark grabbing her arm and taking her out of the bar.

"Get off me," she said as she struggled to get out of his grasp. "You're hurting me."

"What the hell is the matter with you Megan?" Mark shouted. "I mean seriously what goes on in your head?"

"What I thought we were just talking?" Megan shouted back. "You called me cliché when I have never met a more clichéd person in my life."

"Because I fell in love with an intern?"

"In love?" Megan laughed. "Are you kidding me? You don't love Lexie."

"What do you know?"

"I know you," said Megan. "She was the perky girl you risked your relationship with Derek for."

"The what?"

"The perky rebound girl," said Megan. "You know the happy girl that hangs on your every word, boosts your ego and the sex is amazing...at first."

"You don't know anything."

"I know the spark is gone," said Megan. "But you can't admit it was a fling that got out of control. She was the forbidden fruit, you risked losing your best friend for her because you thought that the attractions you felt could turn into love, instead it's just stale."

"This coming from the woman that until tonight hadn't had a date in ten years."

"Can you blame me?" Megan shouted. "Why on earth would I want to date anyone after you? You made me hate men because I hated you!"

Mark recoiled as if he had been slapped.

"Oh come on you can't actually be surprised by that," said Megan.

"You don't think I hated you," said Mark quietly.

"I know you did," said Megan. "You hated me for not giving you enough time to decide about the baby, you hated me for leaving so fast and you hated me for getting pregnant in the first place."

"I love my son!"

"I know that now," said Megan. "But you hated me for getting me pregnant. We had a good life together, we knew each other, neither of us were unhappy or tempted to stray. We were happy and then I got pregnant and blew it all apart. Come on you can ask me now!"

"Ask you what?"

"You know what you wanted to ask me," said Megan. "Just do it!"

"I don't want to ask you anything," said Mark not looking her in the eye.

"I got drunk at Derek's birthday party, do you remember that night?" said Megan. "The next morning I was throwing up all day because I drank that god awful port, I threw up my pill. So come on shout at me for being stupid! I was a doctor I should have known that would happen!"

"I'm not going to shout at you," said Mark. "I have Alfie now, it doesn't matter how he came to be here."

"How very noble of you."

"Why do you have to make everything so damn hard?"

"It must be my natural charm," said Megan.

"It must be," said Mark.

Megan sighed and sat down on a nearby wall. They were being ridiculous. Why was she arguing with Mark? Why did she ever care about his relationship with Lexie? She looked and saw him looking down at her. It was Mark, _Mark!_ Damn she wished she could just get over all the stuff that happened in the past and just concentrate on Alfie, but she didn't think the nagging question would ever go away. Was Mark the love of her life? Would she ever find someone who loved her the way he had, and made her as happy as he had? The one thing she did know without a shadow of a doubt was that he was the only other person on the planet that could love her son the way she did.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "We're being silly."

"Me too," he said sitting down next to her. "How do you do it to me?"

"Do what?"

"Make so mad I think my head is about to explode."

"It used to be foreplay," said Megan. "Now we're like an old married couple, we argue but we don't have sex and we have to make up because we are stuck with each other for life."

"There is that ray of sunshine attitude again," said Mark.

"Come on it's true, whether we like it or not we are stuck with each other forever!"

"It could be worse," Mark shrugged.

"Yeah you could still be screwing Addison," said Megan. "At least Lexie is a stranger, it would be so weird to see you and Addison because well...she was my friend and for six years I saw her and her husband together...who is now marrying my baby sister which I admit is a little odd but he makes her happy. In that case maybe it wouldn't be that weird if the two of you were happy..."

"I can see those shots have taken effect," said Mark. Megan was definitely a talkative drunk.

"Huh?"

"Come on I'm taking you home." said Mark "Unless you have another argument you would like to start then could you please make it quick."

"I think I'm good," said Megan. "But I can get a cab."

"Why would you get a cab when I am offering to drive you home?"

"I'm afraid you still have a motorbike and it will give me windswept hair and not in the good way," said Megan. "And I do not need to be rescued."

"I'm not rescuing you, I am rescuing the poor unsuspecting cab driver," said Mark opening the passenger side of his car. "Get in."

"Okay," said Megan. "Thank you...I think."

"Oh you'll thank me in the morning."

"I doubt it."

Mark just rolled his eyes and shut the door behind her, then he got in the car and drove her home.

* * *

**Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter - kamygrey, eddielova09 and as always lilxjames**

**REVIEW!!**

**REVIEW!!**

**REVIEW!!**

**REVIEW!!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The next day Megan received a 911 page, which was pretty rare since she was a genetics specialist and most of her cases aren't the kind that changed that quickly. She recognized the number as Richard Webber's immediately, she was hesitant to go back to work at Seattle Grace, she wasn't ready to risk running into her father again. There was no way she could ever picture herself having a conversation with him ever again, she just couldn't do it.

But she was a doctor she couldn't ignore a 911 page, so she called Richard.

"Hello."

"Hi it's Megan Grey," she said. "You paged me 911, how can there be a 911?"

"We have a situation and I have it on good authority that you might just be the person to help," said Richard. "How soon can you be at Seattle Grace?"

"I have work at Mercy West today," said Megan. "I'm sure there is someone else capable of dealing with this."

"Yes I thought so too but apparently they have failed miserably and I am not about to let..." Richard started to rant.

"Calm down before you give yourself a heart attack," said Megan. "What is going on over there?"

"We have a car crash victim and one of my best surgeons are refusing to operate," said Richard.

"Well get another one to do it," said Megan. "I am not a surgeon despite what you seem to think, I do not operate on patients and your recruitment process I have to say is..."

"This is not my recruitment process!"

"Well what does a surgery have to do with me then?"

"The patient is a five year old boy with severe burns," said Richard. "And my head of plastics has refused to do his job and handed me a list of names!"

"Oh..." said Megan. It wasn't like Mark to turn down a surgery, it was even less like him to recommend other people for his job he was way too arrogant to let anyone believe that somebody else could do a better job.

"I have sent Derek, Lexie, Meredith even Dr. Bailey but nobody can shift him," Richard shouted. "I want him in that OR today, that child does not have the time for us to be standing around!"

"Again why don't you ask another plastic surgeon to do it," said Megan. "There are plenty of good plastic surgeons at Seattle Grace that I'm guessing will be happy to do it."

"Would you want a good surgeon operating on your child?" asked Richard.

"No," said Megan. "Fine, what can I do?"

"Get over here and talk some sense into my plastic surgeon before I fire him!"

"Fine but I don't know how much help I'll be," Megan sighed. "He can be a stubborn pain in the ass."

"Thank you," said Richard.

"I'll be as quick as I can," sighed Megan. Talking to Mark was the last thing she felt like doing that day, in fact she was hoping to generally avoid him for the next few decades.

* * *

"Alright where is he?" Megan demanded as stormed into Richard's office.

"Megan," said Lexie who was sitting in front of the Chief with Derek, Meredith and Callie. "What are you doing here?"

"Richard called me," said Megan. "Something about Mark not doing a surgery and me getting my butt over here to talk to him."

"Maybe I should talk to him again," said Lexie looking at Megan uncertainly.

"I think that is a good idea," said Megan. "He wouldn't listen to me anyway."

"Make it fast," said Richard. "That boy does not have the time for all this."

"Then make someone else do it!" snapped Megan. "He is not the only plastic surgeon in this place."

"I will not let anyone but the best operate on this child," Richard shouted.

"Don't shout at me, I do not work for you!" Megan shouted back.

"Sorry!" he snapped.

"Hopefully he will listen to Lexie," said Megan. "Then I can get out of here. Can't she just promise sexual favors in return for the surgery?"

"Megan!" Meredith scolded. "She can't do that."

"But she would if there was something in it for her, let her scrub in on some amazing surgery," said Megan.

"I am not doing that!" said Richard.

"Give it another hour," said Megan. "You will be shoving surgeries down her throat."

"He won't even listen to me," said Lexie as she came back into the room.

"Has he gone all quiet and mean?" said Megan. "Like he looks right through you?"

"Yes," said Lexie.

"Yeah that is never fun," sighed Megan. "I will talk to him but don't blame me if it doesn't do any good."

"Thank you," said Richard.

"Where is he?" sighed Megan.

"In his office calling other plastic surgeons to do the surgery," said Lexie.

"Oh...that's not good," said Megan. There had to be something really wrong with him if he was calling other hospitals personally, that was intern work.

* * *

"Found anyone to do your job for you?" asked Megan as she stood in the doorway of his office.

"What are you doing here, run into Daddy and want to hide under my desk again?"

"Oh I love mean Mark," said Megan closing the door behind her. "So?"

"So what?"

"Why are you being such a coward?" she said bluntly. "I know that operating on kids is tough but you have done it before."

"What the hell do you know?" snapped Mark. "At least I will pick up a scalpel, I'm not using my son as an excuse."

"And how exactly am I using Alfie as an excuse?"

"You use him as an excuse to stay safely in genetics," said Mark viciously. "But you're scared. You're scared that you are not good enough, that you won't measure up to the mighty Ellis Grey! We both know that Meredith is going to be a phenomenal surgeon but you are scared that you will fail because Megan Grey doesn't fail at anything, she would rather not try at all than risk failing."

"I wouldn't let a child die because of my fear," said Megan. "That little boy will either die or he will be scarred for life."

"I will find another surgeon!" Mark stood up and roared at her.

"You'll find in one time? How do you know that?"

"Get out!"

"No!" Megan shouted. "You are going to tell me why you are willing to risk the life of a child!"

"Because!"

"You're going to have to do better than because!" Megan shouted.

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"Is it Alfie?" Megan asked. "Are you afraid to operate on a child? Is this the first kid since...you know."

"Since you stopped keeping my son from me?"

"Yes."

"Then yes it is the first kid," said Mark. "So what?"

"You can't let your emotions affect your job like this," said Megan. "You can't take emotions like this into the OR."

"You think I don't know that?"

"Alfie is fine," said Megan. "He is in school, he has gym this afternoon. But someone else's child is lying down in the ER and needs you. Imagine it was Alfie and the one person that could help him was refusing."

"I would kill them."

"How do you think that boy's father feels?" said Megan. "You need to suck it up and imagine it was any other case."

"How can I do that?"

"I don't know," said Megan. "But you have to do it anyway."

"I don't think I can."

"I'll make you a deal," said Megan. "You do the surgery and I will assist. I might as well face my fear as well."

"You don't have faith in your abilities and you want me to let you help me operate on a child?"

"Well you don't have to, I certainly won't complain if I don't have to lift a finger," said Megan.

"It would be hard on you to see a child lying on the table."

"Yes it would," said Megan. "But I couldn't live with myself if that little boy died because I did nothing. I don't think you could either."

"You're right," said Mark running his hand down his face.

"Aren't I always?" she said.

"But I'm still taking you into the OR with me," said Mark. "Scrub up."

"Fine," said Megan.

* * *

"Well done Dr. Grey," said Mark as they scrubbed out of the surgery.

"Thank you Dr. Sloan," said Megan. The surgery was very successful, the only reminder of the accident the patient would have was a tiny scar on his chin. "You did an amazing job."

"Thank you," said Mark. "You were right, I just had to block it all out."

"It's not easy though," said Megan. "It wasn't easy for me to forget about Alfie in there."

"You didn't show it."

"Thanks," said Megan. "I should be going now."

"Do you have to?" said Mark. "I'll buy you coffee."

"No thanks," smiled Megan. "I have work to get back to."

"Why do you waste your time with genetics when you are clearly made for the OR?"

"I fail to see how that is any of your business," said Megan. "I have to get back to work. Are you still taking Alfie to the park after school?"

"Uh yeah," said Mark. He couldn't understand Megan's sudden change of attitude, they were getting along well and then she just shut down.

"You better hurry up then," said Megan. "He gets out of school in an hour."

"I'll be there," said Mark. "Do you want to come with us?"

"No thank you," said Megan. "I have work to do, but I'm taking home with me so you can bring Alfie home anytime."

"Yeah I wouldn't want to be accused of hogging our son," Mark teased.

"Yeah," said Megan turning to leave.

"What is going on Megan?" asked Mark. "Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?"

"Distant, like you're shutting me out," said Mark. "I'm sorry if I upset you earlier."

"You didn't," said Megan. "You haven't done anything."

"Then why are you being like this?"

"I'm not being like anything," said Megan. "And I'm not shutting you out, I would never shut you out of Alfie's life."

"I'm not talking about Alfie," said Mark. "I'm talking about you and me."

"There is no you and I," said Megan. "We are Alfie's parents and it is best that that is all we are."

"We can't even be friends?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't know I still felt that way about you," said Megan looking blankly at the wall. "I really didn't."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing just leave it."

"Megan."

"Have Alfie home by seven," said Megan then she left the room before she could open her big mouth again.

* * *

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Later that afternoon while she was working at home there was a knock on Megan's front door. She looked at the clock it was far too early for Mark to bring Alfie home, at least she hoped it was. Instead of working in her office Megan had decided to work on the living room floor scattering her papers across the floor. It reminded her of how she used to study back in Med school, it was oddly comforting made it all a little less boring. So she got to her feet and answered the front door. Megan's face visibly paled when she saw who it was and she was way too emotionally drained to pretend.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she snarled.

"I-I just wanted to talk to you," Thatcher stuttered. "Y-You didn't seem to recognize me a few d-days ago."

"We both know that I did recognize you I just didn't want to talk to you," said Megan. "That hasn't changed."

"Can I please come in?" Thatched asked. "I don't want to cause problems."

"There is nothing you can say that I want to hear," said Megan.

"It won't take long, I promise," he said.

"Two minutes," said Megan.

"Thank you," said Thatcher stepping inside. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," said Megan.

"I-I heard you had a son," said Thatcher.

"You heard right."

"He's five?"

"Look I know you have been talking to Lexie, you know about my life although why you give damn I don't know," snapped Megan. "I don't know what you thought you would achieve by coming here but I am not interested in talking to you, looking at you or even thinking about you. As far as I'm concerned you're nobody!"

"You were always a lot like your mother when you were little," said Thatcher. "You were the brave one, tough as old boots, none of the other kids dared to try and pick on you or Meredith."

"What right do you have to talk about my childhood?" said Megan incredulously. "You don't know a damn thing."

"I was there when you were born."

"I'm sure that was very special moment," said Megan sarcastically. "Were you standing there wondering if I was yours or Richards?"

"I-I didn't know you...about your mother's affair...I tried..."

"Of course I knew," said Megan. "I caught them often enough."

"I-I'm sorry that must have been..."

"I got over that a long time ago," said Megan. "Although when you think about it my mother's affair actually had a positive impact on my life."

"I-I don't understand..."

"Well Richard always felt so guilty about it," said Megan. "He wrote my recommendation that got me into Med school, he let me scrub in on major procedures while I was still in Med school. If I had to write a paper on a certain procedure he would let me be in the room while someone was performing it. He was my boyfriend's resident back when I lived in New York. Now he is offering me an amazing job. He is good with Meredith as well, I heard he was going to walk her down the aisle. Alfie loves him too. So when you look at it, I think it's a shame that Mum and him didn't get together properly because at least Richard has a backbone!"

"He is not your father."

"Oh I know that," said Megan. She knew she was being liberal with the truth but she didn't care. "But I consider my father to be a waste of perfectly good oxygen."

"I-I'm just...I-I want to try and..."

"I don't care what you want or what you are trying to do," said Megan. "I do not want to see you ever again. You died the day you walked out and left me to raise Meredith because we both know that my mother was certainly not up to the job. So just get out and don't ever come back."

"You are a lot like your mother."

"I know that," said Megan. "But my son will never know what it's like not to have a father. I learned from my mother's mistakes."

"I'm glad."

"You have another two daughters now," said Megan. "I can't speak for Meredith but I certainly do not want to reconnect or have anything to do with you."

"Alright," said Thatcher defeated. "But if y-you change your mind..."

"I won't," said Megan. "But I know how to contact you."

"You should talk to your sister," said Thatcher. "She is desperately trying to get your attention."

"Meredith has my attention."

"I meant Lexie," said Thatcher. "She is your sister and none of it is her fault."

"Can you please just leave now," said Megan getting up and opening the front door.

"You have grown into a very impressive woman," said Thatcher. "Your mother must have been very proud."

"Goodbye," said Megan firmly.

"I mean it, you can contact me anytime."

"Yeah I'll bear that in mind."

"Bye," said Thatcher. "And I'm sorry for everything."

"You are a few decades too late for that to mean anything," said Megan as she slammed the door shut.

* * *

"Unbelievable," Megan muttered to herself as she scrubbed the inside of her oven. It had been nearly two hours since she had thrown Thatcher out, she had spent the time scrubbing her kitchen from top to bottom mumbling to herself.

"Mummeeee," she heard Alfie shout as he came flying through the front door and running through the hall into the kitchen.

"Hey buddy," said Megan. "Did you have fun with your Daddy?"

"Uh huh," Alfie nodded as he dumped his school bag on the floor. "We went to the park and then to the petting zoo...Mummy can I have a pet?"

"A pet?" said Megan.

"Uh huh please."

"Maybe a little one," said Megan every child deserved to have a pet, she had always wanted one but her mother would never let her.

"Like a zebra?" asked Alfie hopefully.

"I was thinking more like a rabbit," said Megan. "I think you're old enough to handle it."

"I am," Alfie quickly reassure her.

"What on earth are you wearing?" asked Mark as he leaned in the doorway.

"Marigolds," said Megan assuming he was referring to the bright yellow rubber gloves she was wearing. "I was cleaning the oven."

"So I see," said Mark.

"Has Alfie had dinner?" Megan asked.

"Yeah he had some pizza and ice cream," said Mark.

"More junk food," said Megan. "Alfie sweetie take your school bag upstairs to your room."

"Okay," said Alfie picking up his bag and trudging towards the stairs.

"The pizza and ice cream was a treat," said Mark. "It's not like I always feed him that."

"Fine," said Megan.

"Look are you going to tell me why you are suddenly mad at me?" Mark demanded. "Or are you just going to be vague?"

"I am not mad at you," said Megan.

"So we're not friends anymore, just like that?"

"Just like that," said Megan. "Oh I forgot to mention that Alfie's parents evening is next Thursday, you are welcome to attend but it is not mandatory."

"I'll be there."

"And his report card came this morning if you want to read it, it's right there," said Megan pointing to the notice board. Mark went over and started to read it.

"This is good, it says he is doing well...the levels they..."

"He is ahead of the most of the class," said Megan. "He is doing very well the only thing that is mentioned is that he doesn't do so well in group activities, but that is pretty common because he is an only child."

"Well what do we do about it?"

"I don't think it is cause for any real concern," said Megan. "But I was thinking about enrolling him in an after school club. He already has soccer on a Sunday morning but maybe it would help to do something with some of the kids in his class. What do you think?"

"I think it sounds like a good idea," said Mark. "What kind of clubs are there?"

"We can find out more at parent's night," said Megan.

"Okay," said Mark. "So are you sure you don't want to talk about us?"

"There is no us to talk about."

"You said you didn't know you felt that way about me, what did you mean?" asked Mark.

"Nothing."

"Megan stop it," said Mark grabbing her arms and pinning her to the wall. "Just talk to me."

"I have nothing to say."

"Come on," he murmured. "It's just me and I hate seeing you like this."

"Like what?"

"Bottling everything up," he whispered softly. "It has to come out sometime."

"Says who?" she whispered back not being able to hide how much it was affecting her having Mark so close to her.

"It just can't stay bottled up inside," he said. "You don't get use the excuse that nobody cares enough anymore, I'm here and I care."

"Just don't," she sighed. "Please don't push me, I'm really trying here."

Mark looking down at her and saw her looking up him, her eyes almost pleading him to drop it. He tucked his hand under her chin and stroked the bottom of her cheek. His other hand was still gripping her arm. He lowered his head to kiss her, just as he was about to touch her lips with his she whispered to him.

"No, you're a better guy than that now." His beard was touching the side of her face and she could practically taste him, but he was with Lexie now and she hadn't done anything to deserve this. Lexie was her half sister and she could never do that to anyone, let alone her own sister.

"I know," he whispered as he touched his forehead to hers and placed his hand on the wall next to her head. "I know."

"Mummy," Alfie shouted from upstairs. "Is Daddy gone yet?"

Megan looked up at Mark who was still staring at her and reluctantly pushed him away and walked into the hallway. Mark followed closely behind.

"No your Daddy is still here," Megan shouted as she walked up the stairs.

"Daddy," Alfie shouted.

"Yeah," said Mark as he followed Megan into Alfie's bedroom.

"Can you help me with my homework?"

"Of course I can," said Mark. "What is it about?"

"I got to think of ten words that starts with R," said Alfie. "And I got to write them and draw them on my table."

"Okay then," said Mark crouching next to where Alfie was sitting at his little desk. "I think we can do that."

"You have half an hour and then I am running your bath," said Megan.

"Okay," said Alfie lifting his pencil case from his bag.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me," said Megan.

* * *

"He's asleep," said Mark. He had stayed and read Alfie a chapter of his book.

"Good," said Megan. She was now sorting out laundry, she wanted to keep her hands busy and provide a distraction from looking at Mark.

"Do we need to talk about earlier?"

"No I don't think so," said Megan. "It was a moment of weakness."

"But..."

"Talking won't do anyone any good," said Megan. "We are just Alfie's parents now, nothing more."

"You can say that until you are blue in the face but you know we will always be more than that," said Mark. "I know you."

"I've changed," said Megan. "That little boy upstairs comes first, we both put him first. You remember what we were like, we argue and fight and he has never been exposed to that and I'm not about to start it now."

Mark knew what she was saying without her actually having to say the words. They would never be together, she was saying that their relationship was too unstable. Although he hated to admit it she was right, there was something between him and Megan they could both make the other one so mad that they could happily throttle each other, his little boy didn't deserve to see his parents arguing like that. Alfie deserved the happy childhood neither nor Megan had had.

"Okay," said Mark. "I won't mention it again."

"Good," said Megan.

"I should get going," he said.

"Yeah," said Megan. "I'll email you about the times for the parent's evening."

"Email?" said Mark. "Oh come on, you're being ridiculous."

"Fine I'll call you," smiled Megan.

"That is more like it," said Mark. "So next time you are at the hospital am I supposed to text you a greeting or can I actually say hello."

"You've made your point," Megan giggled. "I won't email you!"

"Good I never check my emails anyway."

"Goodbye Mark."

"Goodbye Megan," said Mark teasingly.

* * *

**Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter.**

**kamygrey, eddielova09, Fangirl44, KittyLikes2Scratch and as always lilxjames.**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"So when do you have Alfie this week?" Lexie asked. Mark was on his way into the hospital when she caught up with him in the parking lot.

"Uh...I'm not sure yet," said Mark as if she was interrupting something even though he was walking alone, not apparently doing anything. "Why?"

"Well I feel like I have barely seen you all week," said Lexie taking his hand.

"I see you all the time," said Mark distractedly.

"Work doesn't count," she said. "I have to run around all day and you are in the OR."

"Well I have to see my son," said Mark.

"I still don't see why I can't meet him," said Lexie. "He is going to find out about us sooner or later."

"I know that," said Mark. "But Megan is really careful about who she lets in Alfie's life, and given my track record I can't blame her."

"But we are different," Lexie almost whined. "Can't you talk to her?"

"What if I agree with her?" said Mark. "I wouldn't like Megan to introduce someone she was seeing to Alfie."

"But this is me, not some random drummer," said Lexie. "If we have a future together I have to get to know Alfie..."

"Yeah that question remains to be answered," said Mark.

"Are you mad at me or something?" asked Lexie. "You don't seem like yourself."

"I'm just tired," said Mark. "Ignore me."

"How about lunch today? Maybe you might be a little less grumpy after a few surgeries," smiled Lexie.

"Yeah lunch sounds good," said Mark trying to sound enthusiastic. He used to be crazy about Lexie, he didn't know when that had changed. He shouldn't be letting his feelings for Megan get in the way of his relationship with Lexie, he had still been in love with Megan when he had gotten together with Addison but that hadn't been what had gotten in the way.

"Just page me when you're ready," said Lexie then she got on her tip toes and kissed him.

"Okay," he said.

* * *

"I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow," said Megan to Meredith. "I can't believe I still haven't bought a dress for it either."

"Wear an old one, who cares?" Meredith shrugged.

"What is the matter with you?" said Megan. "You are getting married tomorrow, aren't you supposed to be freaking out? You won't get to sleep with anyone else ever again!"

"So?" said Meredith. "I have no complaints."

"No more first dates."

"Meh."

"No more sleeping your way through Europe," said Megan. "Oh this is awful."

"Relax I'm the one getting married not you," laughed Meredith. "You can still sleep with whoever you want, you can go on as many first dates as you want and you can sleep your way through any continent you want."

"Well it's hardly the same when you have an old married sister," said Megan.

"You are the older sister," Meredith pointed.

"Yeah thanks for reminding me," said Megan. "I got Alfie the cutest little tux for tomorrow, he looks like one of those mini grooms on top of the cakes.

"Awww he will be so cute," said Meredith.

"Yeah he is," said Megan. "He better be he's my date...ugh I'm pathetic."

"Oh cheer up," said Meredith. "Why don't you invite that Irish musician you told me about at the engagement party?"

"Ugh no," said Megan. "Unless you want a big guy with tattoos all up his arms, who can burp the alphabet after only one beer at your wedding?"

"If he can put a smile on your face, bring him along I don't care."

"I think I'd rather just bring Alfie," said Megan. "So where are you staying tonight?"

"At home," said Meredith. "Derek is big on tradition so he is staying at the trailer with Mark."

"Well at least it won't just be me that isn't getting laid tonight."

"Is everything alright?" asked Meredith. "You seem a little more...something today."

"I'm fine," said Megan quickly, a little too quickly.

"Sure you are." said Meredith not believing her for a minute.

"Maybe I'm just PMSing," said Megan.

"Oh boy look out," said Mark sneaking up on her. "If she is actually admitting that she suffers from PMS, then be prepared for a whole new level of crazy."

"Yeah something is bugging her," said Meredith. "It's not PMS because she hasn't punched anyone yet."

"Yeah I have a patient to check on," said Megan awkwardly. She turned to walk in the other direction.

"Megan wait," Mark shouted as he jogged to catch up with her. "What was that?"

"Nothing," said Megan. "I really do have a patient to check up, I believe Dr. Yang is operating on their heart in half an hour."

"This is completely ridiculous!"

"What is?"

"You avoiding me," said Mark. "Nothing happened. You stopped anything happening last night. You have no reason to run or feel guilty, that would be me."

"I know nothing happened," Megan hissed. "And I am not avoiding you."

"Yes you are!"

"I'm distracted, nothing more," said Megan.

"Why?"

"What's it to you?"

"I want to know," said Mark. "Just tell me what is bugging you."

"Everything is bugging me," said Megan. "You are bugging me right now."

"Lexie told me your Dad came to see you yesterday," said Mark. "Did he upset you?"

"No," said Megan. "I was a total bitch and threw him out."

"Ah dealing with your problems head on again I see."

"Oh shut up," snapped Megan. "I'm going to check on my patient and your girlfriend and her father are looking for you."

"What?" said Mark.

"Over there," said Megan pointing behind him. "Have fun."

"Wait Megan..." Mark protested but she was fleeing for her life.

"Mark," said Lexie. "You remember my father?"

"Yeah," said Mark glaring at Thatcher.

"Nice to see you again," said Thatcher.

"I thought we could go for dinner tonight," said Lexie. "The three of us."

"I can't," said Mark. He truly had no desire to spend any time in the company of the man that had walked out on two children. "I'm looking after Alfie."

"Again?"

"Yes."

"You said you didn't have plans tonight," said Lexie.

"Well I do now," said Mark crossing his arms over his chest.

"Alfie is your son," said Thatcher. "His mother..."

"Don't talk to me about his mother," said Mark. "And don't even think about trying to catch her off guard at her house again."

"Mark!" gasped Lexie.

"N-No it's fine," said Thatcher. "What would you suggest I do? From what I gather you were in a similar situation not that long ago."

"My son is a child," said Mark. "I didn't abandon him for twenty five years! So I would say that you missed your chance, and you need to leave Megan alone. If she wants you she will come and find you."

"That is what she said too," said Thatcher. "But surely you can understand...as a father..."

"No," said Mark. "I had no idea how to find my son, you knew where your children were. I don't understand how any father could walk away from their children."

"Mark this is really not..." Lexie hissed.

"Now if you'll excuse me I have patients," said Mark.

"What about dinner tonight?" Lexie called after him.

"No thank you," he called over his shoulder.

"Mark," Meredith called over to him as he stormed away. "Mark! Alfie is in the ER!"

Mark stopped dead in his tracks, the blood drained from his face. "What?"

"His nanny brought him into the ER ten minutes ago, Megan is on her way down there," said Meredith.

Without another word Mark turned and ran towards the stairs.

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter, **Fangirl44, eddielova09 and lilxjames**

REVIEW!

REVIEW!

REVIEW!

REVIEW!

REVIEW!


	19. Chapter 19

_**PREVIOUSLY**_

"_Mark," Meredith called over to him as he stormed away. "Mark! Alfie is in the ER!"_

_Mark stopped dead in his tracks, the blood drained from his face. "What?"_

"_His nanny brought him into the ER ten minutes ago, Megan is on her way down there," said Meredith._

_Without another word Mark turned and ran towards the stairs._

**Chapter 19**

"What happened?" Mark gasped as he grabbed the Chief who was standing in the OR. "Meredith said Alfie was here. Is he alright?"

"Yes calm down he is fine," said Richard calmingly. "He had a little fall in the park."

"Where is he?" Mark demanded.

"Exam room two," said Richard, he had barely got the words out when Mark stormed over to the room.

"Daddy," Alfie shouted when Mark burst into the room.

"Hi buddy, are you alright?" Mark asked shooting a meaningful look at Megan.

"Oh I fine," said Alfie. "I split my head open."

"He fell from the jungle gym," Megan explained. "His head was bleeding so Sean brought him here. Dr. Karev here is going to give him stitches, it looks like he only needs two."

"Mummy is scaring the doctor," Alfie giggled.

"Let me see that," said Mark lifting Alfie from the table, he inspected the little cut on his head. Megan was right all he would need is two stitches, she had clearly taught the nanny not to take any chances with Alfie. "It doesn't look so bad."

"Daddy I'm fine," said Alfie as Mark placed him back on the table.

"Did your Aunt teach you that word?" Mark asked.

"Uh huh," said Alfie.

"Sweetie you need to sit still," said Megan. "Dr. Karev is going to stitch you up."

"Okay," said Alfie.

"Remember," Megan said to Alex dangerously. "That little piece of skin is more important than any surgery you have or will ever do. You leave him with even a tiny blemish on his forehead and you will never have a career in plastics or any other surgical specialty."

"You'll never pick up a scalpel again," said Mark grimly.

"No pressure then," Alex gulped.

"Will it be sore?" Alfie asked.

"It better not be," said Megan looking at Alex warningly.

"Should we freeze it?" Mark asked.

"A little extreme for a little scratch," Alex snickering.

Alfie shook his head sternly at Alex as if trying to tell him that trying to be funny was just not smart.

"I was thinking we should get him a CT just in case," said Megan seriously.

"Yeah I'll call down," said Mark.

"Dude it's a tiny scratch," Alex scoffed.

"I'm fine," Alfie insisted throwing his arms up in the air.

"Are you going to stitch him up or am I going to have to do it for you?" said Mark.

"No you do it," said Alex handing him the needle. "I can't take the pressure."

"Fine," said Mark.

"I don't think I need to tell you what I will do to you if you mess this up," Megan said threateningly.

"Oh I think I can handle it," said Mark. "It not like I'm a world renowned plastic surgeon with thousands of successful surgeries under my belt."

"Just sew him up."

"Finally," said Alfie.

"Don't be cheeky," said Megan. "Mark you're doing it squint."

"Nobody likes a backseat sewer," said Mark. "There done."

"Hmmm I suppose it will have to do," said Megan examining Alfie's head.

"That wasn't even sore," said Alfie.

"You were very brave," said Megan.

"Can I go home now?"

"No," said Mark. "I'm going to take you downstairs and show you the CT machine."

"I'm fine," sighed Alfie.

"Maybe you should limit his time with Meredith," Mark muttered to Megan.

"Maybe," she said. "Fine is his new favorite word."

"If he picks up a bottle of Tequila, I want him sectioned for his own protection," said Mark.

"That sounds reasonable," said Megan. "Come on lets get him a CT."

* * *

"Hey how is Alfie?" Meredith asked. She had been with a patient and had gone to find Alfie as soon as she got away. She found him with Mark and Megan in the cafeteria eating chocolate cake.

"I'm fine," said Alfie.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," said Megan. "He is okay. Two stitches in his head but his CT was clear."

"You gave him a CT?" said Meredith trying not to laugh.

"Yes," said Megan. "Are you saying that I should take chances with my son when he has a head injury?"

"No not at all," Meredith laughed. "But perhaps it was little overboard."

"I don't see how," said Mark. "How is Shep? Looking forward to the big day?"

"Yeah I think so," said Meredith. "Izzie is freaking out over flowers and champagne..."

"You have a good friend in her," said Megan. "I might borrow her when I get married, you haven't had to lift a finger."

"Yeah she is amazing," said Meredith.

"Auntie," said Alfie.

"Yes," said Meredith.

"Do I have to wear a bow tie tomorrow?" Alfie asked scrunching his nose.

"No you don't," said Meredith. "You can wear whatever you want. If I had a choice I would wear my pajamas."

"Can I wear my pajamas?" asked Alfie hopefully.

"No you are wearing your tux," said Megan. "No matter what your Aunt says."

"Fine," sighed Alfie. "But no squeezing me."

"Fine," said Megan. Mark and Meredith shot her a weird look. "He was so cute in it."

"She kept squeezing me," said Alfie.

"I gave life," Megan huffed.

"You'll have to get used to it," said Mark. "We are both so handsome that when we put on a tux women cannot control themselves."

"I not like girls, they're yucky," said Alfie screwing up his face.

"You'll learn," said Mark.

"Nuh uh," said Alfie crawling into Megan's lap.

"You tell him," said Megan smoothing down his hair. "He is staying at home with me forever, aren't you?"

"Uh huh," said Alfie. "But Mummy I been thinking."

"Have you?" said Megan.

"I think I want a little brother to play with," said Alfie. "Tony has a little brother and he carries his lunch for him."

"You want a brother?" said Meredith again trying to stop herself from laughing at the expression on Megan's face.

"Uh huh," said Alfie. "Can I have a brother instead of a rabbit?"

"But little brothers and sisters are annoying," said Megan. "They bug you and steal your stuff."

"Hey," said Meredith.

"But I really want one," Alfie whined.

"Well..." Mark started but he thought better of finishing his sentence when he saw the look Megan was giving him. "I'll have a word with your Mum and get back to you on that."

"Hey Alfie do you want to come and see Uncle Derek with me?" said Meredith extending her hand to him. "He was really worried about you, he thought he was going to have to slice into your brain."

"Okay," said Alfie hopping off Megan's knee. "Does Uncle Derek really cut into people's brains? What's in there?"

"You will talk to me and get back to him?" said Megan once Alfie and Meredith were out of earshot.

"Well what was I supposed to say?" said Mark.

"How about no you can't have a brother? Or you can have a brother one day," said Megan.

"Well I'm up for it if you are," smirked Mark winking at her.

"Ugh you are vile."

"I'm just offering a few of my best swimmers," laughed Mark.

"Well if you want to give him a brother, you and Lexie better get busy," Megan snapped. "Although then he will have a half brother/half cousin type thing. Oh god the family tree is already so screwed up!"

"Half brothers and sisters seem a little tacky," said Mark seriously. "A kid having a load of siblings with different parents just seems like something from the Jerry Springer show."

"You do realize that you are going to have to be the one to tell him that he won't be getting a brother?" said Megan. "I'm not going to be the bad guy."

"Fine," said Mark.

"Oh and I know you are blaming me for you not introducing Lexie to Alfie," said Megan. "She asked me why I had a problem with her being in our son's life."

"What did you say?" asked Mark guiltily.

"Luckily for you I covered for you," said Megan. "But I meant what I said when you started to see Alfie, Lexie is the exception I am fine with you introducing her to Alfie."

"Well I'm not," said Mark.

"Then grow some balls and tell her that!"

* * *

Thanks to the many reviewers for the last chapter**, kamygrey, eddielova09, Fangirl44, jlamb13, Sara J, krista and lilxjames**

**I actually got EIGHT reviews for the last chapter more than I have gotten for any of the other chapters. Keep it up everyone and I will update really quickly, I have the next few chapters already written.**

REVIEW

REVIEW

REVIEW


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The next day was Derek and Meredith's wedding. Izzie, Cristina and Lexie were bridesmaids. Alfie was vice best man with Mark, he stood up at the altar in between Derek and Mark looking like Mark's little mini me. It was only when Megan was sitting in the pews watching them that she realized how much Alfie did look like his Dad. They had gotten through the ceremony without a hitch. It was now nearly midnight, Derek and Meredith had long since left on their honeymoon. Alfie had finally fallen asleep just after eleven and Megan had had enough of the wedding, not least Lexie and Mark all over each other slow dancing on the dance floor. She was looking up at him adoringly and Megan frankly found it a little sickening.

"You're leaving?" said Mark as Megan made it to front door of the hotel the reception was held in.

"Yeah," said Megan. "I have a little boy that needs his bed."

"Give him here," said Mark taking Alfie from Megan's aching arms.

"You've been drinking," said Megan.

"I'm not drunk and I'm not about to drop my son," said Mark.

"Fine sorry, I'm just a little overprotective," said Megan. "My car is parked over here."

"It was pretty scary yesterday," said Mark. "In the ER."

"Yeah," said Megan. "I think maybe we went a little overboard over a tiny cut."

"Yeah," said Mark. "I couldn't breathe. All the way down to the ER, I couldn't breathe I just kept...kept thinking what if he's really badly hurt? I couldn't bear if anything happened to him."

"Me neither," said Megan. "But he is a kid and is going to get hurt. It took me a while to get that, I remember when he first started walking I wanted to strap pillows onto him and make him wear a helmet. I actually did do that...but it would be cruel to do it twice."

"I wish I could have been there when he was baby," said Mark sadly.

"So do I," said Megan softly. "I'll never forgive myself for not allowing you to be there."

"Do you have pictures or videos?" asked Mark. He had been wondering more and more about Alfie as a baby and all the things he missed in his life.

"Yeah I have loads," said Megan. "Drop by anytime and I will show them to you."

"I will," said Mark as he stopped in front of Megan's car. He let her open the car door and he placed Alfie in his car seat, making sure not to wake him, he strapped him in and closed the door.

"Thank you for helping me with him," said Megan.

"No problem."

"You should probably get back to the wedding," said Megan awkwardly. Mark was gazing at her making her squirm from the intensity.

"Yeah," said Mark looking over his shoulder. "Do you think you'll ever get married?"

"Um...I don't know," said Megan. "I guess I would get married if I met the right guy but I'm not holding out much hope. I don't need a husband and I'm not going to start chasing after the dream of a big white dress."

"But if you met the right guy?"

"Then yeah I guess I would," said Megan. "To be honest I haven't given it a lot of thought."

"Hmmm but weddings they kinda make you think about stuff."

"Do they?" said Megan. "What about you? Could you tame your man whore bachelor ways and settle down one day?'

"Definitely," said Mark immediately. "I want a family. I want a wife and kids."

"Really?"

"Yeah," said Mark. "I have done enough screwing around, I want the whole suburban family thing but with you know...a lot sex too."

"I thought half brothers and sisters were tacky," said Megan.

"Who said anything about half brothers and sisters?" smiled Mark looking down at her.

"I'm leaving now," said Megan unable to stop a small smile appearing on her face, luckily it was dark.

"Be safe," said Mark and then he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Bye."

* * *

"Lexie can we talk?" said Mark when he went back inside.

"Talk?" she giggled slightly tipsy. "I wanted to do a little more than talk, lets go upstairs."

"Yeah lets go upstairs," said Mark looking around. "We do have to talk."

"We have to talk? It sounds like you're going to break up with me," Lexie laughed then she saw the look on his face. "Oh my god you are."

"Lets go upstairs," he said not wanting to do it in front of half the hospital staff.

"But why?" she asked looking truly upset. "I thought what he had, it's good. We...I don't understand."

"It was good," said Mark. "We were really good together but...it just fizzled out and it's not the same anymore."

"It hasn't fizzled out, not for me anyway," said Lexie tears starting to fill her eyes. "I'm in love with you."

"You don't want to be in love with me," said Mark guiltily. "I'm no good for you."

"You said that the night I came to your hotel room, you had that same look on your face too," said Lexie. "You are good for me. You can teach me...teach me."

"I can't," he said.

"You can!"

"I can't, this is just over," said Mark. "I'm sorry I wish things could be different but they aren't. I hope we can still be friends."

"Friends," said Lexie angrily. "You think we can be friends after this. I am in love with you!'

"You're young you will get over it," said Mark.

"Is there someone else?" Lexie demanded. "Are you sleeping with someone else?"

"I'm not sleeping with anyone else," said Mark firmly. "I haven't cheated."

"I think you have," said Lexie tearfully. "I don't think you slept with anyone but you can cheat emotionally and I think you did and you still are."

"I'm sorry," said Mark unable to think of anything else to say.

"Did I remind you of her?" asked Lexie. "You couldn't have her real sister, so did you settle for her half sister?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about," said Lexie. "Was I the consolation prize?"

"No," said Mark. "Not at first...I don't know. I didn't even know she was Meredith's sister until...In the beginning it was all real."

"Then she came back," said Lexie. "I knew when you were thinking about her..."

"I'm sorry," said Mark. "You are amazing and deserve better."

"I know," said Lexie. "But I still want you."

"Like I said, I hope we can still be friend and end on good terms," said Mark.

"Maybe one day," said Lexie sadly. She stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek and walked away.

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter** Kim, jlamb13, Fangirl44, Sara J, lilxjames and**** Kamygrey**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

The next night Megan was home alone. Alfie had gone to a sleepover, so Megan had gotten into her pajamas ordered Chinese food and got ready for night of trashy TV. Unfortunately she was just settling into the sofa when her doorbell rang. She groaned but got up to answer it and was surprised to find Mark on her doorstep.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," said Mark stepping into the house.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Alfie is at a sleepover."

"I know," said Mark. "You said I could come over and look at Alfie's baby pictures."

"So I did," said Megan. "By the look on your face I'm guessing you want to do it tonight."

"Unless you have other plans," said Mark eying her pajamas amusedly. "I remember the days when you used to wear little silk nighties..."

"I'm old now," snapped Megan. "And I'm not sleeping with you so who cares if you see me like this."

"You're not that old."

"No you'll always be older than me," said Megan.

"So do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have plans tonight?"

"Just take out and bad TV," said Megan. "And a pint of ice cream."

"The good kind?"

"Full fat extra creamy," said Megan.

"Oh yum my favorite," said Mark.

"I'm not sharing with you," Megan whined. "You better not even try to steal my spring rolls!"

"It isn't nice to be greedy," said Mark tapping the bridge of her nose.

"You better remember that," said Megan. "You wouldn't want to put on more weight."

"What do you mean more weight?"

"Well you might remember when I wore lingerie to bed but I remember when you had a rock hard abs," said Megan. "All I see now is flab."

"And you wonder why you scare men away?"

"I don't actually," said Megan. "Do you want to see the videos or not?"

"Yeah but I still want some spring rolls," said Mark.

"Come on I think they're upstairs," said Megan. "I had them sent over from New York but haven't got round to unpacking yet. They have to be in the study."

* * *

"Oh and here is his first birthday," said Megan handing Mark yet another picture of Alfie. "My mother sent him that bear when he was born...to be honest I always thought she had one of her interns pick it out but he loved it called it Mango."

"Mango?"

"Yup," said Megan. "I have no idea where it got that from but it was actually his first word, you know after Da da."

"His first word was Da da?" asked Mark.

"Yeah," said Megan. "Oh and this was taken just after his first steps, a few weeks after his fist birthday."

"Wow he is so little," said Mark.

"Well believe or not I did not give birth to a five year old," said Megan.

"How did you manage it?" Mark asked.

"Manage what?"

"Alfie," said Mark. "How do you give birth to a child and look after them and raise them all alone with..."

"I really don't know," said Megan. "All I wanted to do was sleep for fifty years but...when I saw him I don't know the hormones just kicked into overdrive and I learned to survive on two hours sleep."

"But how did you keep working?" asked Mark as if he was really puzzled but it all. "You would have been a second year resident when he was born."

"I didn't finish my second year," said Megan. "I couldn't manage the work and Alfie. I collapsed in the OR from dehydration and exhaustion. That kind of scared the hell out of me because if something happened to me Alfie wouldn't have anybody. Meredith was not in a place to look after him she was still a hard partier rebelling against our mother and I could never let my mother raise my son, you have seen how Meredith and I have turned out."

"You both turned out fine."

"We are both a little screwy though."

"Yeah okay you are screwy," said Mark.

"See," said Megan. "So I got into genetics and yeah it was hard, some months I didn't know if I could pay the next months rent. Alfie stayed with the woman that lived next door while I was at work, he loved playing with her grandson. She came to visit just after we moved to Seattle. But somehow I managed and now...I think I did good. I have a job where I get to dictate my hours, I make enough money so that me and Alfie never have to worry about it again and Alfie is amazing."

"You have done amazingly," said Mark. "I couldn't have done it."

"Yeah you could have," said Megan. "If you had to, you could have done it."

"No you're much stronger than me," said Mark.

"Well I have always told you that," said Megan. "You never believed me."

"You're different now though," said Mark. "You're softer, more natural."

"Un-groomed you mean?" laughed Megan. "I used to get my nails done three times a week, a massage and waxed. Now I barely have time to shave my legs."

"Isn't that lovely?" said Mark. "And for what it's worth I prefer you like this. A lot less scary."

"Oh I can still be scary."

"You don't have the same venom you once had," said Mark.

"No I just don't use my boobs as often."

"You use them often enough, don't think I didn't see you fluster the lab tech with them to get your results quicker."

"Needs must," Megan shrugged. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure," said Mark. "What have you got?"

"Coffee, wine, beer, and Alfie's little juice box things."

"Beer is fine," said Mark following her into the kitchen.

"Here," said Megan opening the bottle and handing it to him.

"I broke up with Lexie," said Mark looking out of the kitchen window.

"I know," said Megan. "She called Meredith so Meredith called me."

"Why did she call you?"

"Well Lexie doesn't have anyone in the city except her Dad and Meredith is on her honeymoon," said Megan. "She asked me to keep an eye on her at work."

"Thats nice," said Mark. "I really didn't want to hurt her."

"I know," said Megan. "She probably knows that too."

"So the two of you are..."

"I am never going to have a sisterly relationship with Lexie, I just can't," said Megan. "I knew she existed, my mother told me when she was born: 'Daddy has a new daughter now and she keeps her room tidy.' That was how she told me I had a sister."

"That is awful."

"That is Mummy dearest," said Megan. "So me and Lexie are never going to be sisterly but she means a lot to Meredith so..."

"She's very sweet," said Mark. "And she is desperate for you to notice her."

"I know," said Megan. "I am trying."

"Well at least you won't have me complicating things," said Mark.

"I have told you before we are stuck together for life," said Megan. "It's a throughly depressing thought."

"I think we could do a lot worse," said Mark.

"You could," said Megan. "Frankly I could do a lot better."

"You could," Mark agreed.

"Come on soppy pants," said Megan. "Help me put the photos back."

"Maybe you should actually unpack the study," said Mark.

"I think that is a job for another day," said Megan. "Can you put them up in attic space?"

"Sure," said Mark. "Just use me for my big guns."

"You're what?" laughed Megan.

"You know what I'm talking about," smirked Mark flexing his biceps.

"Oh please," she said rolling her eyes. "Just carry the boxes."

Mark went into the living room put the albums back into the big plastic box, he carried it up the stairs. Megan opened the trapdoor to the attic space and pulled the ladder down. He placed the box in the attic.

"Thank you," said Megan. "I would never have gotten that up there."

"No problem," said Mark trying not to let it show that he was out of breath.

"Feeling your age?" Megan teased.

"No," Mark said shaking his head.

"Whatever you say," she smiled handing him her beer.

"Thanks," he said gulping it down.

"You're not so young anymore," said Megan. "Not as much stamina."

"My stamina is just fine," Mark insisted.

"Whatever you say."

Without another word, Mark grabbed Megan by the waist and kissed her, shoving her against her bedroom door.

"What..." she started but gasped when he started to kiss her neck. She hated that he was so good at that and she hated that he could still make her legs feel like jelly.

"Just say and the word and I'll stop," he whispered into her ear.

"Um..."

She knew she should tell him to stop, the only thing holding their relationship together was the fact that they weren't having sex. But she couldn't help but wonder if it would be as good as it used to be. Alfie wasn't home there was no reason why she couldn't have really good sex it was just the fact that it would be with Mark that was the issue. Unfortunately Mark was getting impaitent and had already disposed to her t-shirt, she had no idea when that had happened.

"You never used to have to think so much," he teased as he slid his hands in her pajama bottoms, thrilled to find that she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"Shut up," she whispered as she grabbed the back of his neck and pressed little kisses along his jaw line while her hands undid his belt. "This is not the time for chit chat!"

"I wasn't planning on doing much chatting anyway," said Mark as Megan unzipped his pants. "Apparently neither are you."

"Are you still talking?" snapped Megan. Mark responded by kissing her on the lips while pushing her through the door into her bedroom....

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter **kamygrey, eddielova09, Fangirl44, jlamb13 and lilxjames**

**REVIEW!!**

**REVIEW!!**

**REVIEW!!**

**REVIEW!!**


	22. Chapter 22

_**PREVIOUSLY**_

"_Are you still talking?" snapped Megan. Mark responded by kissing her on the lips while pushing her through the door into her bedroom...._

**Chapter 22**

The next morning Megan rolled over and almost screamed when she realized there was someone else in her bed, and it wasn't Alfie. Then she remembered the night before. She turned over and saw Mark still fast asleep. She groaned and sat up. What had she been thinking? Why did she sleep with Mark? She knew better. Everything had been fine, now it was ruined because she had slept with him, she couldn't even blame alcohol she hadn't even finished her beer she had given it to him. She pulled her dressing gown on, wincing slightly at the strain in her groin. Yeah once was a mistake but five times in one night was going to be hard to justify even in her own head.

"Um...ugh...I'm..." Mark mumbled still half asleep.

"I'm going to jump in the shower I have to pick Alfie up in a hour," said Megan.

"Coffee?" he mumbled.

"Coffee machine is in the kitchen, the filters are in the cupboard above," said Megan.

"Right,"Mark groaned as he rolled out of bed.

Megan rolled her eyes as he didn't even bother to put on boxers before he went downstairs, she would have to have a word with him before Alfie spent the night with him. Megan quickly went into the bathroom, she couldn't be late to pick Alfie up from his sleepover.

* * *

"You are unbelievable," Megan shouted as she stormed into the kitchen fully clothed. Mark was leaning against the kitchen counter, thankfully he had now put on his boxers, and was drinking coffee.

"Yeah a few people have told me that," he smirked. "You were pretty unbelievable yourself."

"You branded me!"

"Ah you noticed then?" he grinned.

"I am going to kill you," she shouted as she picked up a wooden spoon from the counter and threw it at him. When she was in the shower she had found several love bites all over her body. "Why on earth would you do that?"

"Caught up in the moment?" he smirked.

"Take that smirk off your face!"

"Oh don't be like that it's not like they are in a place you openly display," he laughed.

"That is so not the point!"

"Well what is the point?"

"The point is I have them all over."

"You weren't complaining last night."

"Last night was a mistake!" Megan shouted.

"Oh I know," he said.

"Oh...right...good," said Megan.

"What? You expected me to declare my undying love and beg you to give us another try so that we could be a proper family with Alfie?"

"No!"

"Yes you did," said Mark.

"No I didn't!" Megan shouted. "Believe me I know you! You aren't capable of anything beyond sex because you are just that shallow and empty. Only good for one thing!"

"Well I aim to please!" Mark shouted.

"I have to go and pick up my son..."

"Our son!" Mark roared too infuriated to care that he was being ridiculous.

"Fine I have to go and pick up our son from his sleepover," Megan snapped. "Let yourself out." She threw the spare key at him and stormed out slamming the back door behind her.

* * *

The next day at the hospital Megan had some work to do in the surgical wing, she was just praying that she didn't run into Mark. She couldn't face him yet. She still cringed when she thought what had happened the day before, how could have uttered the phrase 'You're only good for one thing' it was mortifying. At least at home she had Alfie as a buffer but at the hospital there was nowhere to hide. Megan looked up from her chart and saw Lexie with one of the attending he seemed to be really pissed at her about something. Remembering her promise to Meredith to look out for Lexie, Megan decided to wander to past to see what was going on.

"Just because you got special treatment on the other services does not mean that your particular brand of..."

"Excuse me Dr. Milton," Megan cut in sharply. "Is there a problem here?"

"It's Dr. Hamilton," he said.

"Whatever," said Megan waving her hand dismissively. "Is there a problem here?"

"No I was just informing Dr. Grey here that she will not be receiving special treatment on my service..."

"Good I'm sure she is glad of that," said Megan. "She is a good doctor and earns opportunities."

"Well I heard...I mean..." huffed Dr. Hamilton.

"I'm sure that whatever Dr. Grey does in her own time is her business and should not affect the way you or any other doctor in this hospital treats her," said Megan.

"Well..."

"And further more if you were seen to be treating her any different or depriving her of any opportunities that she deserves I will make my personal mission to have you hauled up in front of a disciplinary board," said Megan. "So Dr. Milton, do you have a problem with Dr. Grey?"

"Hamilton," said Dr. Hamilton through gritted teeth.

"I think perhaps it's best I take Dr. Grey as my intern today," said Megan. She could tell just from his body language that she had pissed him off. "I will inform the Chief of Surgery of your unprofessional attitude."

"Fine take her," said Dr. Hamilton. "What use are interns anyway?"

"Come on Dr. Grey," said Megan glaring at Dr. Hamilton.

"Oh my god thank you," said Lexie once they were out of Dr. Hamilton's earshot.

"You're welcome," said Megan. "That guy is a loser. He picks on interns because they are the only ones that can't tell him that he is a grade A loser."

"Still you didn't have to step in like that," said Lexie.

"Well you didn't deserve it," said Megan. "I promised Meredith I would look after you while she was away."

"You did?" she asked looking up at Megan like a hopeful puppy.

"Yeah," said Megan. "I actually have a surgical case today if you have any interest in helping."

"You are going to operate?"

"Yes," said Megan. "And I will need an intern I was going to go the chief for one but if you want in?"

"Uh yeah," said Lexie.

"Good," said Megan. "Come on."

* * *

"Good work today," said Megan as she and Lexie scrubbed out of the surgery.

"Thank you," said Lexie.

"Take the patient down to post op and monitor their stats," said Megan.

"Okay," said Lexie.

"Uh...are you alright?" asked Megan. "I know we're not close but I heard about the break up and Meredith isn't here for you so...are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm okay," said Lexie touched that Megan would ask even though it clearly made her so uncomfortable. "Thanks for asking."

"No problem," said Megan.

"I'll just go to post op then," said Lexie.

"Thanks," said Megan.

It was weird spending the day with Lexie, Megan could see that she was genuinely nice person who obviously cared what she thought of her. But Megan couldn't bring herself to feel any sisterly feelings towards Lexie, she was a stranger and Megan couldn't ever see it being anything different.

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapters, **Fangirl44, lilxjames, kamygrey, hugeGAfan and jlamb13**

**REVIEW!!  
REVIEW!!  
REVIEW!!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

It was now five weeks since Megan and Mark slept together. They hadn't really talked about what had happened or their argument. Megan had been working mostly at Mercy West so they never really ran into each other unless Alfie was there and when they did talk it was only the bare minimum. It was Megan's day off so she had decided to go and see Meredith, Mark had taken Alfie to the zoo with Derek.

"Mer are you home?" Megan shouted as she let herself in.

"In here," Meredith shouted from the kitchen. Megan walked into the room and found Meredith sitting at the table looking at blue prints.

"That your house?"

"Yeah," said Meredith. "Do you think I need a porch and a patio?"

"Yeah put one on either side of the house," said Megan.

"What about a big tree for a tree house?"

"Can't you plant one when your kid starts asking for a tree house?" said Megan.

"I guess," said Meredith. "It's weird building a house, at least if we were going to buy a house I could have reasons to hate parts of it."

"Just hate the parts that Derek wants," said Megan. "I actually came here to talk to you about something."

"Okay," said Meredith. "I could do with a distraction from all this."

"I got a job offer," said Megan. "It's really amazing, I could do my own research, have access to state of the art equipment and get to give lectures."

"Wow that sounds good," said Meredith. "So what's the problem?"

"It's in London," said Megan.

"London as in London England?"

"Thats the one," said Megan. "The money is great and the benefits are amazing. Alfie could go to the best schools...Eton has links with Oxford."

"So what is the problem?"

"Alfie has just got to know his Dad," sighed Megan. "How can I take him across the world? I don't think either Mark or Alfie would let me."

"If this job is what you want, then you have to go for it," said Meredith. "Alfie will be fine, he never needed Mark before and they can visit each other. But if you need this for you then go for it you gave up a lot to be a mother, you should have something for yourself."

"I know," Megan sighed. "But I like being near you now."

"I know and I'll miss you," said Meredith. "I don't want you to go but I don't want you to stay because you think I need you. You can go if it's want you want."

"I know you don't need me anymore," said Megan. "I trust Derek to take care of you."

"And I trust you to take care of my nephew," said Meredith.

"There is something else..." Megan started but she was interrupted by the sound of Alfie, Mark and Derek entering the house.

"Auntie, Auntie," Alfie called.

"In here," Meredith shouted giving Megan a weird look. Alfie came running into the room waving a piece of paper.

"Mummy," he said.

"Hi honey," said Megan. "What do you have there?"

"Uncle Derek got me a zebra," said Alfie. "Look it says my name."

Alfie handed Megan a certificate that said that Derek had adopted a zebra in Alfie's name.

"Wow thats amazing," said Megan.

"He sends me birthday cards and tell me if the zoo is looking after him," said Alfie. "Daddy says that he has to stay at the zoo though so that he has company."

"Did you thank your Uncle Derek?"

"Uh huh," said Alfie.

"What else did you see at the zoo?" Megan asked avoiding looking at Mark who had entered the room with Derek.

"Elephants and bears and even a koala," said Alfie.

"So you had fun?"

"Yeah," said Alfie.

"Good," said Megan.

"What are you doing here?" Mark asked. "I told you I would have Alfie back for six."

"I came to see my sister," said Megan keeping her voice nice and pleasant since her son was sitting only a few feet away.

"Are you staying?" he asked.

"I was just leaving," said Megan. "I'll see you at home honey." She kissed the top of Alfie's head.

"Bye Mummy," said Alfie apparently oblivious to the tension between his parents.

"See you," said Meredith.

"What the hell was that?" said Derek when he heard Megan shut the front door behind her.

"What?" said Mark.

"What is going on with you and Megan?" said Derek.

"Nothing," said Mark. "Just a little minor disagreement."

"That means you don't want to be in the same room as her," said Derek.

"Everything is fine," said Mark.

"And they have the nerve to say I am in denial," Meredith muttered.

"Everything is fine," snapped Mark

"Whatever you say," said Meredith.

Mark knew he was being ridiculous and that he should just talk to Megan but he just wasn't ready to have that conversation again. He just didn't want to hear from her yet again that she didn't love him and didn't want to be with him again. He didn't want to hear that he wasn't good enough for her, he already knew that. He hated that he was still in love with someone who was so clearly not interested. So he just ignored her and spoke to her only when necessary because they had Alfie and he couldn't risk things getting any worse between them because only their son would suffer.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Damn," Megan muttered to herself. She had been put on hold with her OBGYN's office twenty minutes ago and so had just accidentally hung up because she was trying to read files, type and remain on hold all at the same time. She redialed quickly and was appalled to be put straight through.

"Hello Dr. Walter's office," said the secretary.

"Hi I need to book an appointment," said Megan.

"I need your name."

"Dr. Megan Grey."

"Okay," said the secretary and Megan could hear typing on the other end of the phone.

"I just need a ten minute appointment," said Megan. "Preferably as soon as possible."

"Tomorrow at 9am?"

"That's fine," said Megan. "Thank you very much."

"Have a nice day."

Just as she hung up someone knocked on her office door, she shouted for them to come in and was surprised to find that it was Mark.

"What are you doing here?" said Megan going back to the file in her hand. "I thought you weren't speaking to me and generally didn't want to be around me?"

"Yeah I came down here to apologize for the way I've been acting," said Mark sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah I'm sorry too," said Megan.

"I don't want us to be like this," said Mark. "We should be...Alfie needs us both."

"We should never have slept together," said Megan. "I knew it would become a big complicated mess."

"I think we both know that now," said Mark. "But whats done is done. We can't change what happens all we can do now is make sure it never happens again."

"Don't worry it won't," said Megan. "Can we just go back to the way we were before we did that?"

"Yeah," said Mark. "I'd like that."

"Me too," said Megan. "Now get out I have work to do."

"See you later Megan," said Mark, he wasn't sure but he thought something was different about her. She was just a little too...agreeable and helpful. If he knew anything about Megan it was that nothing was ever that easy with her.

"Bye Mark."

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers from the last chapter **kamygrey, Fangirl44, jlamb13, KittyLikes2Scratch, hugeGAfan, lilxjames and greys5824**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Alfie has a dentist appointment tomorrow afternoon," said Megan. She was working at Seattle Grace again that day, she had had her appointment with her OBGYN that morning. She found Mark leaning over the nurses station. "So you can't pick him up from school, but you can the day after."

"Fine," said Mark politely.

"Dr. Grey," Richard called as he stormed over to Megan.

"Dr. Webber," said Megan. "How are you today? You look kind of stressed."

"I just received a very interesting phone call about you."

"Me?"

"Yes apparently you are swanning across the planet to do research in some fancy swanky labs," said Richard. "Are my labs not good enough for you anymore?"

"When was the last time they were upgraded?"

"They are up to code," said Richard indignantly.

"Just up to code," Megan smirked.

"It is no reason for you to fly off to London."

"London?" Mark interrupted. "What the hell is he talking about?"

"I got offered a job in London," said Megan reluctantly. She knew she would have to tell him about it eventually, and she knew he wouldn't be happy. "At a state of the art lab where I could do my own research."

"You would move to London?" said Mark slowly as if still trying to comprehend what he had just been told. "As in London, England?"

"Yes London, England. Yeah I would move there otherwise the commute would be a bitch," said Megan.

"With Alfie?"

"Well I wouldn't leave him behind," said Megan. "Look I haven't made any kind of decision yet. We can talk it through and find what is best for Alfie."

"You can't take my son to England," said Mark as if it was just his gut reaction. "You can't take him away like that. You can't leave me the way I was before, you just can't."

"Nothing has been decided," said Megan looking him straight in the eye. "We can talk about this."

"You just can't," he repeated. "Is this why you wouldn't even talk about joint custody?"

"No," Megan gasped. "That was months ago, I didn't know about this job back then. Come on you have to believe that I only found out about this last week!"

"I believe you," said Mark looking at her closely.

"Why don't you come over tonight and we can talk," said Megan. "Alfie has arts and crafts after school but we will be home by six."

"Fine," said Mark checking his pager as it started to beep. "I'll see you then."

"Thanks for that Richard," said Megan.

"Me?" said Richard pretending he was fascinated by the chart he was reading.

"Don't act the innocent with me," said Megan.

"I thought he would have known," said Richard feebly.

"Well he didn't," said Megan. "I was going to tell him once I had decided what to do. I knew he would freak out."

"Sorry?" said Richard unsure of what to say. When Megan started to rant like that she reminded him so much of Ellis, it was a little scary and Richard remembered enough to know that he never messed with Ellis when she started ranting like that for good reason.

"Whatever," said Megan. What use was an apology now?

"Good luck," Richard called after her as she stormed away.

* * *

"Hey Mark come on in," said Megan.

"I brought Alfie the new book he wanted," said Mark.

"You spoil that boy," said Megan. "He is doing his homework right now."

"Well I have to spoil him now, he might be half way round the world in a few weeks," said Mark.

"Come on," Megan sighed. "I didn't go looking for this, the lab called me I didn't apply for the job or anything."

"How good is this job?"

"Amazing," said Megan honestly. "They had the kind of equipment Seattle Grace can't even dream of. I can get the same flexibility I have here and Alfie could go to some of the best schools in the world."

"Sounds perfect," said Mark sadly.

"Yeah and if it were closer then there would be no question of me taking the job," said Megan. "But London is a nine and a half hour flight away."

"You couldn't get further away if you tried," said Mark.

"I'm not doing this to hurt you," said Megan. "It's just a possibility that is on the table right now."

"How can I take it off the table?"asked Mark.

"What?"

"What is it going to take to get you to stay?"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Megan.

"I'm serious," said Mark. "What can I do to just make you stay?"

"Nothing there is nothing you can do," sighed Megan. "I have to call them tomorrow and let me know what I have decided."

"So I don't have any say in this at all?"

"No you do," said Megan. "I know your position on this and I have taken it on board."

"You just can't leave all over again," Mark sighed. "I can't lose you both like that."

"I know," said Megan. She had never really faced up to the damage she had done to him by just disappearing. "We wouldn't just disappear we would visit and you come and visit us."

"I would see you both a few times a year at the most," said Mark. "It's not the same as seeing you almost every day."

"I know," said Megan sadly.

She had to turn the job down. She could see the damage it would do to Mark and she didn't think he could come back from losing Alfie like that. That was before she could even guess what it would do to Alfie, he loved his Daddy so much it would break his little heart to leave. Yes he was young and would get over it eventually but Megan didn't think she could deal with her son's sadness when she knew she could prevent it.

"Mummy I finished," Alfie shouted from upstairs.

"Okay I'll come up and check it," said Megan.

"I'll go," said Mark. "I might as well spend what time I have left with him."

"Mark," she sighed but he was gone.

* * *

"Megan," Mark called.

He had just put Alfie to bed, he had come downstairs and couldn't find Megan. He wanted to talk to her about going to London, he couldn't live with himself if he didn't do everything in his power to just make her stay. If she did take the job then he would have to think about moving to London as well because he couldn't give up his son now.

Something on the dining room table caught Mark's eye, it looked like a scan picture but Megan kept all her work files up in her study now. It looked like a sonogram. He knew it wasn't any of his business but he picked up the scan picture, it was of a baby it looked to be about four weeks along. He glanced up at the patient name and nearly dropped it when he read; patient name Megan Grey.

"Mark," said Megan as she came into the room from the kitchen. "Is Alfie asleep?"

"What the hell is this?"

"Uh..." said Megan. She knew it was stupid to leave her scan picture lying around but she hadn't had time to put it away. "I can explain this."

"I doubt it," said Mark angrily keeping his voice down very aware of the fact that their son was asleep upstairs. "You are planning to just disappear not tell me? You were going to run and not tell me about the baby again!"

"No! I just..."

"This is unbelievable," said Mark not even being able to look at Megan. "You are not taking my son anywhere! I don't care what it takes you are not taking him anywhere!"

"Mark just let me..."

"No I don't ever want to lay eyes on you again!" he said storming out.

"Damn it!" Megan shouted to the room as she heard the front door slam behind Mark.

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter **kamygrey, KittyLikes2Scratch, jlamb13, Fangirl44 and Zara.**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Megan was on the warpath. The day after Mark found out about her pregnancy, she was operating on a patient of hers at Seattle Grace. The entire surgical staff were avoiding her, she had already gone through six interns before noon.

"Dr. Webber I need another two interns," said Megan as she barged into his office where he was talking to Thatcher.

"Another two?"

"I won't have incompetent children in the my OR," she snapped. "Do you have another two or do I have to call Mercy West and have them send me a team that can actually do their jobs?"

"Take Grey and Findlay," said Richard then he glanced at Thatcher. "I actually have..."

"What? Are the two of you friends now?" she said growling at her father. "Comparing notes? Reminiscing about the good old days when you were fucking his wife and then you killed killed his other wife? You really couldn't make this stuff up!"

"Dr. Grey," said Richard sternly.

"Dr. Webber," she mocked.

"Perhaps I will just leave the two of you alone," said Richard. Thatcher had come to him again to try and reach out to Meredith and Megan. But apparently today was not the best day to appeal to Megan's better nature.

"Why?" said Megan bluntly.

"Dr. Grey senior is looking over your research papers," said Richard sternly. "He is on the board that controls the grant you applied for before your London job offer."

"I'm not going to London," Megan snapped. "I turned the job offer down."

"Oh good I am glad to hear that," said Richard. "Since you are staying perhaps it is in your best interests to talk to Dr. Grey."

"He can hardly be called a Doctor," Megan muttered. Richard quietly slipped out of his office, Megan rolled her eyes and sighed as she sat in the chair next to Thatcher.

"Uh...your paper is very impressive."

"Thank you," said Megan clearly irritated by being made to talk to him. "Do you have any questions

about it?"

"No your research seems to be quite thorough," said Thatcher. "We have set up an interview with you and a few other candidates next weeks where we will ask you questions. You should receive an email about it."

"I'll have to check my emails then," said Megan getting to her feet. "If there is nothing else Dr. Grey."

"You were always such a brave little girl, nothing scared you," said Thatcher. "Meredith used to have nightmares about the witch from Sleeping Beauty, you never did you always used to tell her that the witch was just a drawing."

"Can't say I remember that," Megan snapped.

"I was there when you were little."

"Look I still don't want to talk to you," said Megan. "I want that grant so I can't tell you exactly what I think of you, although god only knows how you still have that job from what I hear you're a useless drunk."

"I've been sober for almost two months."

"There is no cure for alcoholism," said Megan walking out of the room, shouting over her shoulder. "Just take the hint and go away!"

* * *

"Megan," said Meredith carefully. She had been nominated by the interns to talk to Megan, since she had been terrorizing them all day. She already know something was bothering Megan, she had saw her arrive that morning and could smell the bleach on her hands. When Megan seriously freaked out she cleaned, when she found out she was pregnant with Alfie she had cleaned her apartment from top to bottom all night. The night before she left home for Las Vegas she had cleaned the bathroom for four hours. Meredith just assumed she was stressing because of the job offer.

"Yes," said Megan.

"Are you feeling alright?'

"Why?" asked Megan suspiciously. Surely Mark wouldn't have told her sister she was pregnant before she did.

"Some people are a little concerned because you have been so...edgy today," said Meredith. "Bailey had to send one of the interns home, you made her cry."

"Who, Bailey?"

"No the intern," said Meredith. "Do you want to go and get some coffee?"

"Coffee?" Megan all but growled. "I don't have time for coffee, I am surrounded by a bunch of incompetent idiots! Even the nanny is pissing me off!"

"Alright how can I help then?" asked Meredith. She knew Megan was about to explode and she really didn't want to be the person that tipped her over the edge. "What has the nanny done?"

"He is in Portland visiting his sick mother and I won't get out of surgery until at least four thirty..."

"I'll pick Alfie up from school," Meredith offered quickly.

"Don't you have surgery?"

"No," said Meredith. "My shift is almost over, I will pick him up from school you can pick him up from my house."

"Thank you," said Megan then she caught sight of Mark walking in her direction talking to Derek. "I should really go and check on my interns and make sure they aren't screwing up again."

"Maybe you should go easier on them," said Meredith uncertainly. "I know they are a pain but it is our job to teach them and remember you were an intern once."

"I knew how put in a central line," said Megan. "The interns this year are a useless bunch of idiots. Your little sister couldn't even file paperwork."

"Megan I thought you were getting along with Lexie," said Meredith.

"Why on earth would I do that?" said Megan bluntly. She spotted Lexie coming up behind Mark, she shouted out to her. "Grey! Did you manage to file those results?"

"Uh...yes," said Lexie.

"In chronological order?"

"Yes."

"Good," said Megan. "Go and prep the patient, if you manage to do it without screwing up you can scrub in and watch."

Lexie turned on her heel and walked off to the patient's room, not giving Megan the opportunity to give her a hard time again.

"Oh that was much better," said Meredith sarcastically.

"What do you want from me? You want me to hold her hand and gently talking her through the complicated process of taking someone blood pressure."

"Well aren't you a little ray of sunshine today," said Derek smiling from ear to ear. "Did you really kick the chief out of his office?"

"Bite me!" snapped Megan picking up her chart and storming off.

"Is everything alright?" Derek asked Meredith.

"No," said Meredith. "Everything is not alright. But it's Megan, she never shows weakness until she has no other choice."

"Can I help?"

"You can help me look after Alfie this afternoon," said Meredith. "We're babysitting."

"Alfie has a dentist appointment this afternoon," Mark interrupted.

"Oh Megan didn't say anything about that," said Meredith. "I'll ask her about it."

"Well it was Megan that told me about and with her you never know if she is actually telling the truth or if she just wants to fuck with your head," he said angrily.

"Uh...okay," said Meredith shooting Derek a look. "Maybe the two of you should keep each other company today, you know save the rest of the world."

"I'd rather chew my own arm off," said Mark. "I have an appointment with my attorney this afternoon anyway."

"Nothing serious I hope," said Derek. He hadn't heard anything about Mark needing a lawyer.

"I hope not," said Mark.

* * *

That afternoon Megan was halfway through the surgery when she started to feel lightheaded. She stopped what she was doing and took a deep breath. She had been up all night the night before scrubbing her kitchen, she couldn't sleep after Mark had walked out. She had been feeling a little sick that morning and hadn't had breakfast, come to think of it she hadn't eaten or drank anything since yesterday afternoon. When she felt her body sway she knew she couldn't keep operating on her patient not unless she was prepared to risk his life.

"Dr. Findlay," said Megan. "Can you page Dr. Bailey to come in here and finish off for me."

"Yes ma'am."

"Dr. Grey," said Megan. "Monitor the patient and make sure he remains stable until Dr. Bailey arrives."

"Okay," said Lexie.

Megan calmly placed her surgical instruments on the tray. She walked into the scrub room and pulled off her scrub cap and gloves. She was just about to wash her hands when her she was overcome with fatigue and fainted.

Mark who was sitting up in the gallery jumped up when he saw Megan go down, nobody in the OR had noticed as she hadn't hit anything on her way down. But Mark had been watching her.

"Get a gurney down to the scrub room now!" he roared to one of the residents as he ran down to the scrub room himself.

* * *

**Dun Dun Dunnnn!**

Thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter **jlamb13, greys5824, lilxjames, eddielova09, Fangirl44, KittyLikes2Scratch and kali k **


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

A few hours later Megan woke up in a hospital bed, she moved her arm and was horrified to discover that she was attached to a drip. Her head felt heavy, in fact her whole body felt heavy. She opened her eyes and immediately heard Alfie squeal.

"Look Mummy awake," he shouted.

"Alfie keep your voice down your Mummy needs rest," said Mark gently.

"No," said Alfie bossily. "Mummy said cuddles, juice and an ice packs makes everything all better."

"Alfie," said Mark. "You really need to sit down."

"He's right," Megan croaked. Her throat felt like sandpaper.

"See," said Alfie triumphantly. "Auntie you get the ice, Daddy you get Mummy some juice box and I do cuddles."

"Come here baby," said Megan stretching out her arms as Alfie climbed on her bed and cuddled into her. "You okay?"

"Daddy said you were sick," he said looking up at her with his sad eyes. "Are you sick Mummy?"

"I'm fine now," said Megan kissing the top of his head.

"Daddy Mummy needs juice," said Alfie.

"Would you mind?" Megan asked uncertainly. Meredith had already left the room to get an ice pack. She was very aware of the fact that Mark pretty much despised her right now but she really needed a drink of water.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Just some water," she said.

"Okay," he said.

Megan looked over the top of Alfie's head to the bottom of her bed where her chart was. Mark lifted the chart and handed it to her before he left the room to get her some water.

Megan scanned her chart and winced when she realized what was wrong with her. Exhaustion and dehydration. She had collapsed for the same reason when she was pregnant with Alfie. She never took the fact that she was pregnant into consideration when she stayed up all night cleaning and when she decided she was too busy to eat. Mark was going to kill her, she should have been more careful. But according to her chart there was no harm done to the baby, there wasn't much they could do because she was only five weeks along and the baby didn't have a heartbeat yet. They had done a scan and the fetus was fine.

"Mummy," said Alfie.

"Yeah," said Megan as she sat her chart at the side of her bed.

"What is that tube on your hand doing?"

"Oh it's just something that helps me to rest," said Megan.

"I missed my dentist appointment."

"I know," said Megan. "I'll call and get you another one."

"Okay," said Alfie. "Daddy was crying...I sawed him wiping tears...did he think you were going to die?"

"No," said Megan quickly. "He never thought I was going to die, I told you I am fine. I just need some rest and then I will be back to normal, I promise."

"You need rest like Daddy said," said Alfie. "I go sit nice and quietly."

"No," said Megan pulling her arms tighter around Alfie. "Mummy needs lots of cuddles."

"Okay," said Alfie.

"Here is your water," said Mark coming back into the room with a tray, with a jug of water and a glass.

"Thank you," said Megan pulling herself into a sitting position still keeping one arm round Alfie.

"Here let me," said Mark pouring the water into the glass.

"Thank you," said Megan taking the glass from his hands and gulping it down.

"I couldn't find an ice pack," said Meredith appearing at the door.

"In a hospital?" Megan giggled "You couldn't find an ice pack in a hospital?"

"You try it," Meredith protested.

"No it's fine I don't need ice," said Megan. "I don't have a fever."

"Let me feel," said Alfie pressing his hand to her forehead. "Daddy can I have your stethoscope?"

"No," laughed Mark. "You can't have my stethoscope, we have doctors here that are going to take good care of your Mummy, you can have a stethoscope when you're older."

"Mummy can I have yours?" asked Alfie.

"When you're older," laughed Megan. "And your Dad is right I am fine."

"And you young man need to get to bed," said Mark. "It's nearly past your bedtime."

"I assume I am staying here tonight?" said Megan rolling her eyes.

"Yes one night observation," said Mark. "I think you can handle one night."

"Fine," said Megan childishly. "What's..."

"Alfie is staying with his Auntie Meredith and Uncle Derek tonight," said Mark. "Aren't you buddy?"

"Uh huh."

"Well what about his school uniform?" said Megan. "Has he done his homework? Do you have his cereal?"

"Relax," said Meredith. "Tomorrow is Saturday, I have your house keys so Alfie and I are going to stop by your house to pick up what he needs, and things you will need."

"Don't worry about me I'll be fine, I keep clean clothes and stuff in my lab downstairs," said Megan. "I have everything I'll need for one night here at the hospital."

"You sure?" asked Meredith.

"Yeah," said Megan. "Don't worry about me."

"Mummy why can't I stay here with you?" asked Alfie.

"Because hospitals are no fun," said Megan. "And the food is really bad, now at Auntie Meredith's her cooking isn't much better but Uncle Derek can really cook breakfast. So you be a good boy, okay?"

"Okay," said Alfie.

"I will call you in morning," she promised. "And you can call me before you go to bed."

"Okay," said Alfie.

"You better go now," said Megan.

"Fine," sighed Alfie jumping off the bed.

"I love you," said Megan leaning down and kissing him.

"Love you too Mummy," said Alfie taking Meredith's hand. "Daddy will you look after Mummy with your stethoscope?"

"I promise," said Mark. "Bye buddy."

"Bye bye," said Alfie leaving the room with Meredith.

"I'm so sorry," said Megan once Alfie and Meredith were gone. "I should have known better than to skip meals...this happened when I was pregnant with Alfie, apparently pregnancy makes me a fainter. Did Dr. Bailey finish my surgery?"

"Yes Dr. Bailey finished your surgery, and your patient is just fine," said Mark sitting on the chair at the side of her bed.

"Good," said Megan. "You don't have to stay with me."

"It's fine," said Mark.

"Look I know that you hate me right now so you really don't have to stay here!" Megan snapped. "I am not some feeble sick person!"

"I know that," said Mark calmly. "But you scared the hell out of me today when I saw you go down like that. Do you have any idea what went through my head?"

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't even feel...I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to scare you."

"I know you didn't," he said. "It is my baby, isn't it? Please don't yell at me, I just...why else wouldn't you tell me..."

"Yes it is your baby," said Megan.

"Yeah I thought that," said Mark. "But...I couldn't think of any other reason. There was that guy you were seeing at the engagement party and I...I'm sorry."

"It's okay," said Megan. "The last time I saw him was the night of the engagement party and I had my period in between seeing him and the night we..."

"You don't have to explain that," said Mark. "But why keep it a secret?"

"It wasn't a secret," said Megan. "I just found out myself a few days ago and then there was the job in London. To be honest I haven't really thought about the baby very much," Megan confessed.

"The job in London," Mark sighed. "I forgot about that."

"I turned them down," said Megan. "I called them last night and told them I couldn't take the job. I couldn't do it to Alfie...or you."

"Good," said Mark taking her hand. "I'm glad you're not leaving."

"Me too," said Megan. "I swear I was going to talk to you about the baby I just...we don't exactly have the best past when it comes to unplanned pregnancy."

"Yeah that is fair," said Mark. "But I'm not going to make the mistakes I made last time, I'm not going anywhere and I can't wait to meet this baby. I'm not scared."

"Then that makes one of us," said Megan. "The thought of two kids is pretty scary."

"It will be fine," said Mark. "You're not by yourself this time. I'm here for everything."

"I thought you hated me," she said. "I know how it must have looked to you. But I could never have taken Alfie away from you and I would have told you I was pregnant once I had processed it myself. I know it was wrong not to tell you straight away, I should have taken you to the appointment with me so you could have seen the sonogram, although the baby is less than a millimeter in size, and doesn't even have a heartbeat yet in fact the OBGYN didn't even want to do the scan but I had to see it...But I am sorry...damn! You should hate me! For once I can't think of a single thing you have done that I could blame you for this whole mess well other than having super strength sperm."

"Well my sperm and I apologize for any inconvenience caused," said Mark trying to hold back a smile.

"Well you should damn well apologize," said Megan. "With Alfie there was one day I brought my pill up and bang I was knocked up. Then we slept together once and bang!"

"It might have been on one occasion but several times."

"Even so!" Megan exclaimed. "I'm surprised you don't have an entire football team of kids when your shooting swimmers like that!"

"I knew you would find a way to blame me."

"You and your extra strength boy penis!"

"Yes I take full responsibility for the grain of rice in your uterus," he said. "Now get some rest."

"Do you hate me?" she asked quietly.

"I have never hated you," said Mark tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "I just got mad, and I'm sorry I never gave you the chance to explain."

"I'm sorry I made it all messy again," she said.

"It's okay, it's all okay," he said then he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Get some rest."

"Okay," she said.

"I have a surgery now but I'll come back to check on you."

"Goodnight," said Megan.

"Goodnight."

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter, **Fangirl44, KittyLikes2Scratch, greys5824, jlamb13 and lilxjames**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"What do you think you are doing?" Mark demanded the next morning. After his surgery the night before he had fallen asleep in the chair next to Megan's bed, he woke up to find her gone. He eventually found her in the intern locker room.

"I brought the interns coffee and muffins," said Megan. "Since I was slightly hard on them yesterday."

"You made one or possibly more of them cry," said Mark.

"So I brought coffee to make up for it," said Megan.

"You should be in bed resting," said Mark.

"I am rested," said Megan. "I slept for almost 15 hours, trust me I'm fine."

"Well hand out your little treats and get back to your room," said Mark. "Dr. Phillips will give you a check up so that you can be discharged."

"Finally," said Megan. "I hate being the patient!"

"I know," said Mark taking her hand and pulling her towards the door. "You are the worst patient in the world."

"Unlikely."

"Just move," he said. He opened the door and almost walked right into Lexie.

"Dr. Grey," said Megan. "I left coffee and muffins for you and the other interns as a way of apologizing for yesterday, I was unfairly hard on all of you."

"Thank you," said Lexie not sure if she should take her seriously or not. "Mark could I talk to you?"

"Uh yeah," said Mark. "But first I have to get the patient back to her room."

"You don't have to I can walk on my own," said Megan.

"Are you sure?" said Mark.

"Did you seriously just ask me if I can walk to my room?" she said. "I told you I am fine. My legs are not broken and thanks to that stupid bag I am more hydrated than I have ever been in my life. In fact I think I would rather go back to my room alone because you are annoying me! Concern doesn't suit you."

"Fine!"

"Fine!" said Megan.

"Page me when the doctor comes to discharge you," he called after Megan as she stormed off. She just waved as her hand at him.

"Can we talk in private?" said Lexie.

"Sure," said Mark. "My office?"

"Okay," said Lexie.

"Is everything alright?" Mark asked as the approached his office. "I mean you're alright?"

"Hmmm I'm fine," said Lexie. "Don't worry I'm not pregnant or anything like that."

"Okay," said Mark trying to not to sound as relieved as he was. "So what's up?"

"Is Megan pregnant?" she asked.

"Uh..." said Mark not sure if he should answer that. "Yeah she is."

"Is it yours?"

"Yes," said Mark. It wouldn't be fair if he lied to Lexie, she at the very least deserved honesty from him. "She is only five weeks along, I didn't cheat on you I told you that when we broke up. It didn't happen until after."

"Are the two of you together now?"

"Well uh...no," said Mark. He had no idea what he and Megan were anymore. "I don't actually know, but right now no we are not together."

"Thank you," said Lexie. "I know it's really none of my business but..."

"It's okay, I should have come and spoke to you about it," said Mark.

"You really do love her," said Lexie. "Even I can see it now."

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," said Mark. "I never intended to."

"I know," said Lexie. "I'm going to miss pre-rounds."

"I should get back to Megan," said Mark guiltily.

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Mark asked for the third time. Megan had been discharged, Mark had driven her home and made her put her feet up all day. They had just put Alfie to bed.

"I'm fine," said Megan. "I am pregnant not ill."

"You fainted yesterday," Mark pointed.

"And I won't make the same mistake again," said Megan. "If you are so worried why don't you just go and grab some stuff from your hotel room and stay here."

"Stay here with you and Alfie?"

"Well...yeah," said Megan. "You can bring pizza back with you. Besides Alfie would love to have you here in the morning."

"Okay," said Mark not wanting to give her the chance to change her mind.

"Pepperoni with extra cheese," said Megan. "And before you get any ideas you will be sleeping in the guest room."

"We'll see about that," Mark smirked, he grabbed his jacket and walked towards the front door.

"Remember you have to deliver my pizza in thirty minutes or less otherwise it's free," Megan called after him.

"But if I do that then I might not have time to pack my jammies," Mark smirked.

* * *

That night Mark was lying in the bed in Megan's spare room. He and Megan had spent the night watching TV and eating junk food. Mark found that he couldn't sleep, he was just lying on his back looking up at the ceiling. He heard someone in the hallway, he assumed it was Megan as Alfie had been asleep for hours. The door of his room opened and he saw Megan creep in.

"Are you okay?"

"You have asked me that like a hundred times today," said Megan. "I'm fine and the baby is fine."

"I was just checking," said Mark. He knew he was bugging her, but he was very aware of the fact that miscarriages are more likely to occur in the first ten weeks and Megan had fainted just the day before was not a good sign at all. "Sorry if I'm a little overprotective."

"I know you're scared," she said sitting on the edge of his bed. "But you really don't have to worry so much. I promise that I am going to take care of myself and make sure that our baby is born as healthy as possible."

"I know you will," he said slipping his arm round her waist and pulling her down to lie next to her. He moved his hand so that his hand was pressed against her stomach. "But I'm the dad I don't get to do much for another few months, so all I can do right now is worry."

"Hmmmm I think I can come up with a few things for you to do in the next few months, I will keep you plenty busy."

"Doing what exactly," he whispered into her ear.

"Oh there will be building the crib, painting the nursery, finding me all the weird food I'm craving and telling me I don't look like a puffy, sweaty whale when I clearly do," said Megan.

"Sounds like a blast," said Mark.

"Don't worry there will be some fun stuff...actually there won't be. It's going to be all sleepless nights, poopey diapers and just think of the delivery room, I'll be agony pushing a person out of my body because of you and you'll have to just stand there and take the abuse."

"Well I can't wait," said Mark. "It will be amazing to see my baby being born."

"Yeah for you," said Megan.

"Oh shut up you're just as excited as I am," he said pulling her close against him.

"Yeah I am," said Megan. "I'm glad you're here this time, I wouldn't like to think about going through it alone again."

"There is no danger of that," said Mark. "I promise."

"I know," said Megan. "Thank you."

"Thank you for letting me be here."

"I'm not about to do that to you again," said Megan. "I'll never try and keep you away again."

"I know you won't."

"Oh god when did we become those sappy people who talk about their feeling before they go to sleep?" said Megan.

"It must be all your hormones."

"What's your excuse then?" she retorted.

"Exhaustion."

Megan tugged on Mark arms and pulled it tighter around herself. She snuggled into the pillow and closed her eyes, sleep suddenly coming easily to her. Mark pressed a kiss to the top of her head and went to sleep.

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers from the last chapter **littleanjel, Fangirl44, emma134, KittyLikes2Scratch, greys5824, jlamb13, lilxjames and kamygrey.**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW  
REVIEW**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Megan was now three and a half months pregnant, to anyone looking at her it wasn't noticeable that she was pregnant yet but her stomach was slightly rounder. Mark had been staying at her house every night since she had been discharged from the hospital, they had gotten into the habit of sleeping in the spare room together every night but weren't a couple.

"Meredith, have you seen Mark?" Megan asked. Mark hadn't come back to the house after work the night before and he hadn't called her to see how she was that morning, he always did that if he had to work during the night.

"Uh...yeah he and Derek went for a run this morning," said Meredith. "He had a rhinoplasty in OR2, he must be about done now though."

"Thanks," said Megan.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," said Megan. "I just haven't seen him since yesterday...It's probably nothing."

"How is my niece?"

"The baby is fine," said Megan. "And we don't know if it's a girl or not yet."

"Well it better be a girl, I have a bet with Derek and Mark, they both think it's a boy," said Meredith. "So do what you can."

"I'll try," said Megan. "I'm going to go see if I can find Mark."

"Okay," said Meredith going back to her charts.

Megan went to the scrub room of OR2 and found Mark washing his hands. He glanced up when he saw her enter the room, but he didn't say anything he just kept on washing his hands.

"Hi," said Megan.

"Hey."

"Alfie missed you this morning."

"I'll pick him up from school today," he said. "If that's alright with you?"

"Yeah it's fine," said Megan. "Is everything alright? You seem...mad at me or something."

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"I don't know. Are you?"

"No."

"Did you have a late night surgery last night?"

"No," he said. "I went back to my hotel room."

"Why?"

"I live there," he said. "Although I think it's about time I bought my own place, I'm going to view some places this afternoon I might as well get Alfie's opinion. At least then I could look after him overnight."

"Mark," she said burrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Did I do something to annoy or upset you?"

"No," he said. "We're fine."

"You might be."

"How are you feeling today?" he said changing the subject. "Any morning sickness?"

"No, just a little nausea."

"Good," said Mark. "Did you eat something this morning?"

"Ugh," said Megan annoyed by his distant behavior. "Are you going to tell me what is bugging you?"

"Nothing is bugging me."

"Fine!" She said stomping out. "Stupid men!"

* * *

That night Megan was standing outside Mark's hotel room, she knew something was wrong with him and it was driving her crazy because she truly had no idea what she had done wrong. He had dropped Alfie off at her house, but he had stayed in the car and sent Alfie inside on his own. He had avoided her all day at work as well. So she asked Meredith to put Alfie to bed while she went to find out what his problem was. She knocked on the door and heard him shouting for her just to come in. He was clearly expecting someone. For a moment she dreaded that he was seeing someone else, she couldn't stand it if she walked in on him with someone else.

"Just leave the cart out there," he called from the bathroom. Megan breathed a sigh of relief, he was expecting room service.

"Mark," she called.

"Megan?"

"Yeah."

"Is everything alright?" he said coming out of the bathroom without having taken off residue shaving foam off his face. "Is Alfie sick?"

"No he's fine," smiled Megan. She picked up a towel that was flung over a nearby chair, she went to wipe his face but he flinched when the towel touched him. He took a step back, took the towel from her and wiped his face himself.

"What are you doing here then?"

"Wow you're that happy to see me," she said. "I came to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About whatever it is I have done to make you act like this," said Megan. "You have been avoiding me all day, you drop Alfie off without a word and...you didn't leave me a smiley note on the bathroom mirror."

"That is because I wasn't in the shower before you this morning," said Mark feeling bad he hated seeing Megan upset.

"What about the rest?"

"I wasn't avoiding you all day I was working all day, I didn't have time to wander down to the fun easy world of genetics."

"You think my work is fun and easy?"

"I think it's a cop out," said Mark. "You couldn't cut surgery so you ran to genetics."

"See that!" Megan shouted. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Nothing!"

"It's something!" she shouted. "Is it the baby? Are you freaking out or something? If you are it's fine."

"It's not the baby," he shouted. "It has nothing to do with the baby or Alfie!"

"So it's just me you have the problem with?"

"I don't have a problem."

"You clearly do," said Megan. "If I'm in this alone again, just tell me."

"What?"

"Two kids is a lot. You couldn't handle the thought of Alfie," said Megan trying to be understanding. "You have never been around new born babies but I'll show you..."

"How can you say that to me?" said Mark too hurt to bother hiding it. "I have never given you any reason to think that I don't want to be around for our children. I have done everything I can to make up for how I reacted the last time you were pregnant."

"I know, I'm sorry," said Megan. "Just tell me why you are being like this then."

"It's nothing."

"Because the only reason I could think was that you were getting cold feet," she said feeling her eyes fill with tears. "Because this is feeling just like last time, I'm pregnant and missing you and I hate it!"

"I..." Mark started but he didn't know what to say or do he had never seen Megan cry before and she was really crying now despite her trying to hide it with her hands.

"These are not real tears, you have not made me into a sniveling pathetic person. These are pregnancy tears, I can't control them so they don't count!"

"You should sit down," said Mark, she shouldn't get worked up while she was pregnant.

"I don't want to sit down," she said. "I want you to tell me what I did? I want you to tell me what the hell it is you want?"

"I want you!" Mark exploded. "Are you happy now? I want you!"

"What?"

"I love you, I have always loved you," he said. "I can't take living there with you and not..."

"I...I..."

"You don't think I loved being there all the time with Alfie, finally feeling a proper Dad. I know so many little things about him, his teacher actually knows my name now..."

"Yeah she has the hots for you," said Megan. "She asked me if you were single."

"My point is, I can't go on the way we haven been, acting like a family but not quite," he sighed. "I love being around the two of you but...it's like low fat ice cream it's kind of like the real thing but missing one major thing."

"I...I-I have to go," said Megan pointing to the door. "Sorry but I left Alfie with Meredith and...bye."

"Megan," he sighed but she was gone.

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers from the last chapter **greys5824, lilxjames, jlamb13, Fangirl44, emma134, kamygrey, KittyLikes2Scratch, littleanjel and eddielova09**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**

**REVIEW**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"Oops," said Megan.

She was standing in the lobby of Mark's hotel, having just fled from his room. The last thing she had been expecting was Mark to tell her that he loved her. She didn't know what to say to him, so she followed her her gut instinct and ran. She didn't know he felt like that about her, she thought they were friends who just happened to be having a baby...and had been sleeping in the same bed for weeks. Alright so there were a few signs that their relationship wasn't quite platonic, but she had dismissed all his flirting as harmless. After the way they had broken up the last time and the way she had acted towards Mark when she came back into his life, she just assumed that it would never happen between them again and had forced herself to accept it. But she knew she couldn't leave things as they were, she knew she had hurt Mark and she had to at least apologize for that. She got back on the elevator, got off on his floor and knocked on his room door.

"Is low fat ice cream so bad?" she asked when he answered the door.

"What?"

"It might not taste as good, but it has less calories," she said. "Less calories means less chance of a heart attack and poor health."

"I knew I shouldn't have tried to use a metaphor," he muttered. "I should have just kept my mouth shut!"

"I think I can live on low fat ice cream," said Megan. "If it means my heart has less chance of an...attack."

"If I have to live on low fat ice cream I can't have the good stuff dangled under my nose," said Mark.

"I don't know the real translation for that," said Megan.

"No more sleepovers," he said. "Just...parents."

"But why?"

"Because you don't love me," he said sadly. "I have to accept that and get over you again, I can't do that when we..."

"I do love you," said Megan. "I thought you knew that."

"No I didn't," he said.

"Well I do," said Megan looking to the ground.

"Then I don't see the problem," said Mark he took her hand and pulled her into the room, closing the door behind her. "Just tell me straight...no ice cream metaphors about heart attacks and calories."

"The same reason I haven't let any man into my life since you; Alfie," said Megan. "You must remember what we were like when we were together. We get so mad at each other, I could gladly throttle you most of the time and I know you could do the same to me."

"I wouldn't actually..."

"I know you wouldn't actually physically hit me but you have to walk away to stop yourself, don't deny it I have seen you do it!"

"Yeah okay fine, I do that." Mark admitted. "But I can walk away."

"I think I would prefer to be punched," said Megan. "I could handle a punch."

"I'm sure you could," said Mark. "But you are changing the subject."

"Alfie should have a normal childhood," said Megan. "Neither of us did. Your parents were never around and I had to take care of Meredith when our father walked out."

"Wouldn't his parents being together make his childhood more normal?"

"Not when his parents are us," said Megan. "We always arguing and fighting and when we break up again then it would destroy Alfie and this new baby."

"When? When we break up," said Mark. "You don't even think there is a possibility that we will work out..."

"We are not the happily ever after type," said Megan. "We fight, we break up that is the way it goes."

"Says who?"

"History," said Megan. "Have you ever been in a relationship that hasn't ended?"

"Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? The only way I could have a relationship that hasn't ended is if someone died!"

"My point is, I have done everything I can to make sure that Alfie is protected from the things my mother never protected me from," said Megan. "I don't want him to feel the way I did when my parents' marriage broke down."

"He wouldn't," said Mark. "I was an idiot to let you walk out of my life, I don't intend to ever repeat that mistake again. You are the only person I can actually imagine spending the rest of my life with."

"What about Derek?"

"That is completely different, Derek is like my brother," said Mark. "But no I couldn't live with him, just the two of us forever."

"But you think you could live with me?"

"With a few hours break a week, yes." said Mark. "Come on Megan, you know me I am not the guy that does all this...mushy stuff. But I'm here and I love you and I want to be with you."

"I know," she said. "But we have to be really sure...and remember that I'm pregnant, I will be impossible in the next few months."

"I know," he said. "You can stand there all night and think of reasons why we can't be together and it wouldn't make any difference to me. I know you, the good, the bad and the ugly."

"Alfie..."

"Alfie will be fine," said Mark. "You do not give our son enough credit, he takes changes in his stride. A year ago he just had you, now he has a Mum, a Dad, an Aunt and an Uncle. He is tougher than you think. If we ever did break up again, both of us know how not to handle things. I would certainly never put Alfie through any pain or suffering that I could prevent."

"I know you wouldn't."

"So...if you just don't want it, tell me," he said. "I can take it."

"It's not that it's just..." Megan protested.

"Close your eyes," he said.

"What?"

"Close your eyes," he repeated. "Trust me."

"Fine," said Megan reluctantly, she closed her eyes and felt Mark stand behind her and slip his arms round her waist. "Mark..."

"Hey this is my last resort," he said softly into her ear. "If it doesn't work at least I get to do this one last time."

"Okay," said Megan.

"Okay just empty your mind," said Mark. "Relax and think of nothing."

"Seriously?"

"Just do it," said Mark.

"Fine my mind has been emptied," said Megan.

"That didn't take long," said Mark dryly.

"I'm going to open me eyes."

"No don't," said Mark. "Just picture yourself in twenty years time, Alfie has left home and is an intern..."

"Who said he will be a doctor let alone a surgeon?"

"Either way he will have finished college and left home," said Mark. "And the little one in there will be off at college. Where will you be?"

"What?"

"You will be twenty years older and alone," he said. "Children grow up and leave home, you will be a weird old lady the neighborhood kids talk about. You will call Alfie thirty times a day and be rude to his girlfriends, because nobody could take as good care of him as you could."

"Nobody could."

"You have to let someone in," he continued. "You deserve to be happy. Alfie wouldn't want you to be alone forever, for him. He isn't a baby anymore."

"He's still my baby."

"I know but he is old enough to handle change," said Mark.

"So what? If we get together then in twenty years I will be fulfilled and happy?"

"No you will have company," he said. "We can be the old couple the neighborhood kids talk about, spend our time obsessing about our kids and throwing out our hips having sex in weird positions."

Megan couldn't help but laugh when he said this. She lifted her hand up so that it was pressed against the back of his neck and pulled his head down and kissed him.

"Hmmmm just one more thing," said Mark.

"You're gay?" Megan murmured.

"No," said Mark. "Just something I've been meaning to tell you but I can't tell you when you are looking at me. So turn back round and close your eyes."

"After all those grand speeches I should be half naked by now," Megan grumbled but she turned back round so that her back was to him and closed her eyes.

"Do you remember at Derek and Meredith's engagement party?"

"Yes."

"I walked you outside and you started to talk about how Lexie looks like you," said Mark. "You were right, I couldn't see it at the time. Then I started to think about Addison, I always thought the two of you were similar. You are both so confident and something about the way you handle yourself..."

"Seriously?" said Megan. "This is the most unromantic conversation ever. Do you expect me to tell you about my past hook ups? There was this one guy..."

"No," said Mark. "I prefer to think of you as being celibate for the past six years."

"Yeah sure," Megan snorted.

"Anyway," said Mark. "Lexie and Addison are the only two relationships that have lasted more than a night and they both remind me of you. I guess what I am trying to say is that...I think I was trying to replace you in some way with him because you've always been the only one for me."

"Well that is kind of sweet in a weird sort of way," said Megan.

"Am I allowed to open my eyes now?"

"Yes," said Mark.

"Good," said Megan opening her eyes and turning round to face him. "I just need one more thing from you..."

"Anything."

"Promise me that no matter what, we put the children first and things will never get so bad between us that we can't be in the same room together," said Megan. "Both have to be there for them, no matter what."

"I promise," said Mark. He leaned down and kissed her, pulling her closer to him. He placed his hand over her stomach. "Just the four of us."

"Just the four of us," Megan agreed.

* * *

Just a little warning to all my loyal readers the next chapter is the last one.

Thanks to the reviewers for the last chapter **jlamb13, eddielova09, KittyLikes2Scratch, Fangirl44, lilxjames, littleanjel and kamygrey**

REVIEW!!

REVIEW!!

REVIEW!!

REVIEW!!


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

5 YEARS LATER

"Where are my favorite girls?" Mark called.

He had just finished a morning surgery and came home to find the house empty. He could hear the children laughing and playing outside in the back garden. He walked through the house dropping his keys in the bowl at the front door. He walked through the large kitchen and stepped out on the large patio. He could immediately see his two sons playing tag with their two cousins, Alfie was trying to boss the younger three around. He looked across the patio to where Meredith, Derek and the Chief were standing over the barbecue he had bought the day before, while his wife of nearly five years sat on the ground assembling the grill of the barbecue.

"Hey," said Derek looking over.

"Hey," said Mark. He heard his 18 month old daughter squeal in delight, she was on the grass in her walker. She moved her little legs as fast she could to get over to him, when she reached the edge of the grass area the walker couldn't get over the bump onto the patio. Mark saw her face crumple as she stubbornly tried to get over to him. "Come on princess." He said as he walked over to her and picked her up out of her walker.

"Da da da da da da da da da," sang Olivia Rebbecca Sloan. She was a year and a half, and the apple of her Daddy's eye. She had dark hair like her mother, olive skin, a cute little button nose and her father's green eyes.

"What is going on over here?" asked Mark carrying Olivia over to where her mother was sitting.

"These two girls couldn't work out how to assemble the grill so I had to take it off them," said Megan. "Actually I'm done now." She held it up and placed it on the barbecue. "How was your surgery?"

"It was fine," said Mark kissing her. Then Olivia stuck her little hand on Mark's face trying to pull him back, she was going through a phase where she hated anyone getting her Daddy's attention except her.

"Oh I know," said Megan. "I can't kiss my own husband anymore."

"Da da da da da da," said Olivia cuddling into Mark.

"Ugh," said Megan. "It is supposed to be only me that can manipulate him like that."

"Like mother like daughter," said Meredith.

"Alfie," Megan called to where the boys were climbing the fence with Alfie giving them instructions on how to do it. "Stop that! Boys come over here and eat your lunch."

"Mummeee I'm not hungreee."

"Come and eat your lunch," said Megan. "You have to eat some of it."

"Daddy..."

"Do as your Mum says," said Mark.

"There is some food in the fridge for you if you're hungry," Megan said to Mark. "We can't start up the barbecue for another few hours."

"Thanks," said Mark handing Olivia over to Megan.

"Wow look at the two you," said Meredith. "It's weird to think that five years ago...Mark was sleeping with Lexie."

"Yeah I try and not think about that...ever," said Megan. "Come on lets round up our rowdy pack."

"Five kids between us," said Derek. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"Me neither," said Megan. "Jacob Michael Sloan, get over here and eat your lunch!"

"In five minutes," said four year old Jacob. He was the spitting image of Mark and had his 'charm' and cheekiness.

"Now," said Megan sternly.

"Fine," he sighed.

* * *

"Hey," said Mark gently. Megan was in the kitchen doing the dishes, they had a dishwasher but sometimes she liked to do them she said it cleared her mind. Meredith and Derek had gone him earlier. Alfie was reading Jacob and Olivia a story in the living room, the three of them in the pajamas ready for bed. He slipped his arm around her waist and nuzzled his head into her hair.

"What are you doing?" she smiled. "You are supposed to be watching the children."

"They are fine," he insisted. "Alfie is reading them a story, Liv is nearly asleep anyway."

"I think the boys tired her out today," said Megan. "Poor baby."

"How are you doing?" Mark asked. "You were quiet today."

"I'm fine," said Megan drying her hands and slipping her wedding rings back on. "How are you?"

"I'll be better when I know what is bugging you," said Mark.

"We have three kids," said Megan turning round to face him. "There are three of them out there!"

"Yeah I know," he said. "So?"

"I am getting you neutered after the next one," said Megan.

"You took the test?" said Mark a huge smile appearing on his face.

"Yes this morning," said Megan. "It turned blue, there is going to be yet another one of your offspring running around."

"Woooo," he shouted picking her up and spinning her round.

"I was serious about getting you neutered you know?" she said when he put her down. "This is the last baby."

"I love you," he smiled. "I love you, I love you."

"Yeah but will you still love me when my boobs are at my ankles?"

"Always," he murmured as he kissed her.

"Daddy..."

"Mummy Alfie isn't reading the story right," Jacob shouted. "He says the dragon eats the little brother..."

"That is what it says," Alfie shouted.

"Da da da da da da da da da da," Olivia sang.

"Coming," Megan groaned. "Come on time to round up the herd."

"Can we call this one Mark junior?" asked Mark

"No!" said Megan. He had wanted to call both Jacob and Olivia after himself and couldn't accept that it was just never going to happen. "Oh my god."

They walked into the living room to find Olivia ramming her crayons into the DVD player. Alfie was pelting his little brother with pillows while Jacob screamed at the top of his lungs.

"This is complete madness," Megan laughed.

"And I wouldn't change a thing," said Mark throwing his arm round Megan's shoulder and watching his children destroy the living room.

"You are so punishing them this time..."

FINISHED

* * *

Thanks to everyone who has been reading this story and leaving reviews

Thanks to the reviewer of the last chapter **littlenanjel, jlamb13, zara, greys5824, lilxjames, kamygrey, KittyLikes2Scratch, Ms. Lori Reznor and Fangirl44**


End file.
